Caregiver convicted of embezzlement – Sanilac County News

Brooke Arntz

A carer who embezzled her elderly patient's bank account will serve time behind bars.

Brooke Lynn Arntz, 29, of Sandusky, was sentenced May 22 in Sanilac County Circuit Court.

In April, Arntz pleaded guilty to embezzlement from a vulnerable adult – $1,000 or more but less than $20,000.

In exchange for the plea, Prosecutor Brenda Sanford agreed to dismiss four other charges against Arntz: 3 counts of theft/possession of financial transaction devices without consent; and 1 count of lying to a peace officer.

Judge Timothy Wrathell sentenced Arntz to 135 days in jail and two years of probation.

The judge ordered Arntz to pay financial restitution of $2,035.21 to the victim. It also stipulated that she should not care for adults aged 62 or older or adults with disabilities, and should not work in a position where she had direct control over another person's money or had access to it.

Last December, the children of the 88-year-old Carsonville victim discovered suspicious activity in their father's bank accounts. The children provided bank statements to the Sanilac County Sheriff's Department to investigate, Sanford said in a news release announcing the sentence.

Detective Rob Wendling and Deputy Matthew Washe collected evidence showing Arntz used the victim's debit card to purchase items for his own use, Sanford said.

Arntz was indicted in January and pleaded guilty on April 3.

Sanford commended the victim's family and the sheriff's department for their quick action in this case.

“Many of our vulnerable adults have no one to look out for them and an embezzler can take advantage of a situation for years,” Sanford said. “Here, it was stopped in a few months. The victim's family brought his father to court and the judge thanked them for being present.