By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A woman who pretended to be a licensed vocational nurse has been sentenced to nine months in Placer County Jail and ordered to pay back $240,000 to an 85-year-old Foresthill man whom she defrauded over a period of years.
Debra Leigh Kelly, 55, of Foresthill was sentenced Wednesday by Placer County Superior Court Judge Frances Kearney after pleading guilty to a felony count of theft or embezzlement from an elder. Judge Kearney also placed Kelly on four years probation.
Kelly had also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of impersonating a licensed vocational nurse and practicing a trade without a valid license, according to a Placer County District Attorney's Office news release.
In a court hearing earlier this month, Kelly repaid $30,400 to the victim, leaving a balance of $209,600 that she must repay.
Kearney also banned Kelly from being in the presence of elderly adults unless a legal guardian or licensed caregiver is there to supervise.
According to prosecutor Jim Deslaurier, the case began in early 2005 when the victim hired Kelly to help care for his ailing wife. Kelly had falsely advertised herself as a licensed vocational nurse.
The victim's wife died a few months later, but Kelly befriended the man, telling him she was owed a significant amount of money from a civil lawsuit stemming from a horse-training accident.
Pending that settlement, Kelly said she needed a loan. She began borrowing from the victim, telling him she would repay him as soon as her civil case was finalized. The prosecutor said the loans continued for more than four years and the amount reached $240,000.
During that time, Kelly's civil lawsuit was settled, but she received significantly less money than she had told the victim she would receive.
Eventually, a member of the victim's family learned of the loans and contacted Placer County sheriff's detectives. Charges were filed against Kelly last June.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
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