Bloomfield Hills woman sentenced for stealing more than $70K from elderly victim

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Bloomfield Hills woman was sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing from an elderly victim, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Tuesday. 

Margaret Risdon, 62, was convicted of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult between $50,000 and $100,000.

She was sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. She was also ordered to work a part-time job, and she cannot consume drugs or alcohol. 

Risdon was also ordered to pay $72,843 in restitution to the victim’s estate. 

According to Nessel's office, between November 2016 and July 2017, Risdon wrote checks from the victim’s bank account to herself and her business, Electronic Creations, totaling nearly $56,800 and made ATM withdrawals totaling more than $16,000. 

Risdon would also deposit checks into her bank account and use the money for her own purposes. Risdon did not have power of attorney for the victim, who was disabled and lived in nursing homes and hospitals. She also did not serve as his guardian or conservator.  

Nessel said Risdon also did not file State of Michigan income tax returns to account for the roughly $72,000 she took from the victim. 

"Protecting our most vulnerable populations is one of my top priorities," Nessel said. "I appreciate the hard work done by investigators at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the dedication of my prosecutors who relentlessly pursue those who target our state’s most vulnerable adults."