LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 67-year-old woman accused of embezzling over $400,000 from a vulnerable adult was bound over for trial on Tuesday.
Constance Marie Roberts of Flint is facing four counts of embezzling $100,000 or more from a man she allegedly had a long-term relationship with, and four counts of tax fraud – including failing to file, false returns, and false payment, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a news release.
The victim is a married man who is 20 years older than Roberts, according to the release. During their relationship, the victim sometimes gave Roberts small monetary presents and property.
However, it is alleged that Roberts started exploiting this dynamic by obtaining substantial sums of money and several vehicles as the victim began showing signs of cognitive impairment.
Roberts is accused of completely depleting the victim’s checking and savings accounts, which together held about $3 million between 2018 and 2021. Furthermore, she is accused of not declaring this income on her tax returns in Michigan.
"Many older adults have saved for retirement their entire working lives, and sadly they must also plan to protect their assets from people in their lives who would take advantage of them," Nessel said during Roberts’ arraignment. "My office will continue to investigate and prosecute complaints of financial exploitation committed against seniors and other vulnerable adults."
"Each count of embezzlement is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison," the general attorney's office stated. "The tax counts are felonies punishable by up to 5 years in prison."