The last of five people accused in a scheme that bilked elderly clients of millions pleaded guilty Monday, on the eve of her trial.
Susan Hamlett, 57, of Egg Harbor Township, admitted to conspired to steal more than $100,000 from a female client, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced.
Disbarred Northfield attorney Barbara Lieberman admitted last year to using her specialty in elderly law to lead a scheme that defrauded 10 clients of nearly $3.9 million total, ranging from $10,149 to $830,0000. Most of the victims are deceased.
Lieberman is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton. She is eligible for parole in two years.
Hamlett worked as an aide for clients of "A Better Choice," a Linwood-based company that gave in-home senior care. She was to go on trial Tuesday, but instead opted to take a plea deal. Under the agreement, Hamlett faces a prison term of three to five years when she is sentenced Oct. 21.
The investigation began with 93-year-old Irma Schwarzberg, who was living in a senior facility in Cape May Court House. The Office of the Guardian came forward on her behalf, State Police Sgt. Richard Wheeler previously explained.
Schwarzberg died at 94, and had lost $112,000.
A Better Choice's owner, 60-year-old Jan Van Holt, previously pleaded guilty and faces a 12-year prison sentence. Her sister, Sondra Steen, 61, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She is currently incarcerated at Edna Mahan, where she is eligible for parole Aug. 1, 2019.
Former social worker William Price, 58, of Linwood, is serving a five-year prison sentence for his role. He is currently at Bayside State Prison, and is eligible for parole Dec. 18.
“By stealing the life savings of elderly clients who had no family to look out for them, these defendants placed themselves among the lowest of con artists,” Porrino said. “The victims are gone, but we’ve persisted in our quest for justice for them, securing prison terms for all of the perpetrators.”
Elie Honig, the director of the state's Division of Criminal Justice, called this "one of the most egregious cases of elder fraud that we have prosecuted in recent years, both in terms of the amount of money involved and the callous way that these defendants betrayed the trust of their victims.”
Deputy Attorney General Yvonne Maher has prosecuted all of the defendants, and worked closely with Wheeler in investigating the case and tracking down who was victimized.
“The crimes that these defendants committed were insidious and callous,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The arrest and prosecution of these perpetrators sends a message that the victimization of the most vulnerable members of our society will not be tolerated.”
