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Woman, 83, allegedly bilked out of more than $100,000 police say Date published: 5/14/2008
BY KEITH EPPS Two people have been charged in a case involving an 83-year-old Stafford County woman who police say has been bilked out of about $100,000 since December. Ellen Rebecca King, 61, and Mary Joel Ritter, 55, are charged with obtaining money by false pretenses. King is also charged with extortion and abduction, court records show. The victim is not related to either woman but somehow ended up in King's custody after her husband died, court records show. The victim has been staying on Smith Lake Road. King, Ritter and a man are also now listed as the woman's beneficiaries, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Stafford Circuit Court. The affidavit states that the victim became a customer at the Aquia Branch of BB&T in December. She had recently sold her home in Washington after her husband died, the affidavit states, and somehow ended up in Stafford. Most of the funds were deposited in BB&T. Since then, court records state, there have been frequent withdrawals from ATMs and from tellers totaling nearly six figures. Bank officials have also reported seeing the woman being yelled at and grabbed in an aggressive manner by the people who accompanied her. A bank manager contacted Stafford Detective Jim Harris on May 2 and expressed concern for the woman. Bank officials said the woman was being mistreated in public and appeared to be being taken advantage of. Harris wrote in the affidavit that officials were interested in what an 83-year-old woman would be spending so much money on, why all three of her accounts are being depleted and why King has safe deposit boxes at the bank, but no account. Tellers told Harris that the woman's appearance and health has declined over the past six months, and she is now "frail, appears nervous and is literally shaking with fear." Bank officials were able to speak with the victim alone in mid-March when she and the caretaker withdrew a large sum of money for a trip to Florida. The woman told a banking official that she didn't want to go to Florida, but the conversation was interrupted before she could elaborate, court records state. The following statement was also attributed to the victim: "I'm scared out of my mind. I'm in too deep." The Florida Department of Social Services has also become involved in the investigation, the affidavit states. King has a preliminary hearing scheduled in Stafford Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on July 7. Ritter is scheduled to be arraigned today in the same court. The investigation is continuing. It was not clear yesterday where the victim is now. Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0508/519748.html
At this link you can see her interview she says that these are
all false allegations and she has never been abused!! Please
read, I found this quite interesting.
This is so sad. I hope they get the book thrown at them.
I'm glad the bank stepped up and wasn't worried about "being nosey". Sometimes in todays world we have to make judgement calls and they made the right one. Better to be safe than sorry!
BB&T is my third bank, and my guess is, it'll be my last. I got my starting account at 16 with Patriot, but they don't have atms, online banking, or allow you to take money out of your account without a checkbook through the drive through. Bank of America seemed to always be trying to charge me for something, and it was like me against them. I walk into BB&T and have the most welcoming service. They are always so nice and really look out for me as their customer. Stick wtih BB&T.
Thank goodness there are still some caring people who will get involved when they think it is necessary. They may have saved this lady's life.
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