PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — A woman who stole more than half a million dollars from the elderly and disabled has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Lisa Dotson, 40, pleaded guilty to aggravated theft with forfeiture specifications and money laundering.
Dotson will face up to three years of parole when she is released.
As part of Dotson's plea deal, she testified against her niece, Latasha Wisniewski, in August for similar charges.
During her testimony, Dotson also explained how she would earn a 50% "kickback" on checks from the victim's account she helped cash.
Wisniewski was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of theft and money laundering after she systematically siphoned off as much as $150,000 from a 89-year-old man Parma Heights man she had moved in with and for whom she promised to care for.
The case follows an exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation--"Unprotected"--detailing the growing crime of elderly financial exploitation and the lack of resources to investigate and prosecute.
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Last year, as many as 3,000 elderly people across Ohio filed complaints that left the vast majority unprotected from financial exploitation.
