A Morgantown woman is facing four counts of grand larceny and one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person after allegedly withdrawing thousands of dollars from an elderly relative’s bank account.
On Oct. 19, an employee from Adult Protective Services (APS) spoke with West Virginia State Police Corporal J.T. Wood regarding evidence that Cassandra Renee Tichenor, 36, of Morgantown, financially exploited an 84-year-old relative who is a patient at a Marion County health care center, the criminal complaint said.
Wood stated in the report that APS provided him with copies of checking withdrawal slips from a Westover bank showing 68 withdrawals made by Tichenor from the victim’s bank account.
The alleged transactions occurred from January through September, and according to the APS employee, were not made with the victim’s consent.
Wood noted the withdrawals totalled over $30,000, four of which were over $1,000 each, constituting grand larceny.
Upon interviewing Tichenor, Wood found she “is the power of attorney for the victim, but none of the money described was used for the victim.”
According to the complaint, Tichenor admitted to the transactions and told the officer the money was used for her own personal expenses.
Tichenor pleaded not guilty to the charges at her initial hearing in Monongalia County Magistrate Court on Oct. 26 and was released on $5,000 personal recognizance.
