Couple Sentenced For Stealing $227,000 From Ill Grandparents
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - A couple who drained their grandparents' bank account and got caught were sentenced in a Jefferson County courtroom on Monday.
William and Karen Young were convicted of stealing more than $225,000 from William Young's grandparents, Harland and Frances Gibbs.
Other family members hired a forensic accounting firm last year to find out why money was slowly vanishing from the elderly couple's savings account. The Gibbs' were diagnosed with dementia and lived at Covenant Village in Westminster.
-->
"It was brutal, devastating, disconcerting," said Dell Lottman, a relative who reported the Youngs' crime to police.
Investigators discovered William and Karen Young stole $227,000. According to court documents, they used the stolen money to pay their mortgage, cable and utility bills, and even airline tickets to Las Vegas. The couple pleaded guilty in March.
Lottman said it was hard to watch the couple choke up in front of the judge.
"It was hard. I felt bad for both of them. They've done a lot of good stuff with children and charities in Denver," Lottman said. "I think they were right that they made one terrible mistake."
"These are two wonderful, great people who've given back to the community, given through charity all their lives. They made a mistake, they've taken responsibility," said the defendant's sister Sally Kennedy.
Karen Young was sentenced to one week in jail and five years of probation. William Young was sentenced to six months in a work release program and five years of probation.
The Gibbs' have since passed away.
