RIVERSIDE COUNTY — On July 9, 2021, Kimberly Sue Adams, of Norco, was arraigned for allegedly committing financial elder abuse against two residents residing in assisted-living facilities in Riverside County. The defendant, who assisted elderly clients with their finances and living arrangements, was granted Power of Attorney (POA) by both of her victims. As their POA, she allegedly failed to act on behalf of her clients and instead used her position to gain access to the victims’ funds for her own personal gain. Abusing her role as POA, the defendant allegedly defrauded the victims of more than $288,000 in total. She was arraigned in Riverside County Superior Court on felony charges of Financial Elder Abuse, Grand Theft of Personal Property, and Money Laundering.

The California Department of Justice (DOJ) worked in collaboration with the Hemet Police Department and Riverside County Adult Protective Services after the two agencies linked the defendant to suspicious financial conduct with the elderly victims’ finances. Records obtained from the assisted-living facilities confirmed that the defendant was the POA and responsible party for each of her alleged victims. Billing records revealed that facility board and care costs were not being paid by the defendant, putting the two victims — each of whom are over 65 years old, dependent, and suffering from an impaired cognitive condition — at risk of eviction. Forensic auditing by DOJ showed the victims had sufficient funds to pay for care, but the funds were diverted by the defendant for her own personal gain.

“This case is just one of many that demonstrates the need for California DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Our senior citizens deserve our respect and protection.”

The criminal investigation conducted by DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) resulted in the filing of eight felony charges against the defendant by the Office of the Attorney General, as well as her arrest on January 11, 2021.

A copy of the complaint is available here.