SAN DIEGO – On July 14, 2021, the California Attorney General’s announced the sentencing of Nema Mohamed for committing elder abuse against seven victims while working as a caregiver at two separate assisted living facilities in San Diego County. Mohamed was sentenced in San Diego County Superior Court. The Court denied Mohamed’s request for probation and sentenced her to four years of local county jail.
This is Mohamed’s third conviction for financial elder abuse and related crimes. In her previous convictions, she was sentenced to a five-year term of probation, which barred her from working with the elderly. Through coercion, Mohamed used her sister’s identity in order to again obtain employment working with senior citizens. Once hired, Mohamed used her position as a caregiver to enter into victims’ rooms and steal their IDs, credit cards, and cash. On May 26, 2021, Mohamed pleaded guilty to four felonies, including financial elder abuse, fraudulent use of access card information, grand theft, and theft of identifying information with a prior conviction.
Between 2018 and 2019, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) received multiple referrals from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department regarding several residents living at La Vida Del Mar in Solana Beach, and Wesley Palms Senior Living in San Diego who reported having money and checks stolen from their rooms. A 20-month investigation confirmed that Mohamed was employed at the assisted living facilities during the time of each reported crime, and was responsible for the thefts. During her employment at the two assisted living facilities, Mohamed stole cash, checks, and multiple credit cards, using them to buy merchandise from numerous retail stores. The stolen checks were fraudulently cashed. Mohamed was eventually arrested on a $200,000 warrant and remained in custody up to her sentencing hearing.
“Thank you to the law enforcement officers who patiently and thoroughly investigated this individual and the crimes committed against vulnerable victims,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.
The criminal investigation into Mohamed was conducted by DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) in collaboration with DOJ’s Bureau of Gambling Control, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Diego Police Department.
A copy of the complaint is available here.