Charges: Mankato woman stole $35K from elderly woman
A Mankato woman is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from an elderly woman.
Anne Marie Saunders, 54, was charged Monday in Blue Earth County Court with felony counts of financial transaction card fraud and theft.
A criminal complaint says Saunders lived with the 84-year-old victim, who allowed Saunders to use her credit cards to purchase specific items she requested.
The victim learned her cards were maxed out when she tried to use one to pay for a home improvement, according to the complaint.
Investigators say Saunders had made purchases totaling $35,000, many of them online. The victim does not usually shop online, nor did she permit Saunders to use her cards online.
A detective and an adult protective worker met with Saunders at her home. The complaint says she was “shocked” that the victim would approve of them talking to her about the victim’s money.
The complaint says Saunders initially claimed she had no idea what investigators were talking about, but eventually admitted she shouldn’t be buying things online using the victim’s card.
