Woman ripped off a disabled veteran
Caregiver wrote checks to herself for $15,500 from Sheridan man
By Marguerite Alexander
Correspondent, The Sun
While the quadriplegic in her care was receiving treatment at the Seattle V.A. Hospital, Veronica Naomi Lich Robinson, 41, of Clackamas wrote two checks totaling $15,500 from the Sheridan man’s checking account.
Last month Robinson stood in Yamhill County Circuit Court and entered a guilty plea to two charges: first-degree criminal mistreatment and first-degree theft. She was sentenced to 40 days in jail and three years probation.
In the plea agreement, six other charges were dismissed. They included two counts of first-degree forgery, two counts of identity theft and one additional count each of first-degree theft and first-degree criminal mischief.
According to court records, while the victim was in the hospital in February, Robinson wrote two checks to herself, one in the amount of $7,500 and the other for $8,000 from the victim’s Bank of America account and deposited them into her account at West Coast Bank.
The sister of the victim reported the crime. When the victim was contacted he told law enforcement officers that he did not give permission or authorize the checks and the signatures on the checks were not his.
Payment for services provided by Robinson came from a different account, District Attorney Meuy Chao explained. There was absolutely no reason this person should be writing checks to herself, Chao told Judge Ron Stone at the July 19 hearing.
According to court records, Robinson initially told deputies that she intended to use the money to pay off a debt. She then told law enforcement officers that she planed to use the money to purchase a car.
Fortunately the theft was caught before Robinson had a chance to carry out her plan. “The bank caught everything before she spent the money,” Chao said. “There is no restitution needed at this time,” she added. Robinson did have a prior criminal history: fraud in 2002 in California, Chao told the judge.
As Robinson faced Stone to receive her sentence, the defense attorney told the judge that the consequences of the crime were having serious ramifications on the family. The single mother had a house and was widowed. The week before the hearing Robinson had learned that her son had been diagnosed with leukemia. Spending time in custody would be difficult for the family. The defense also requested bench probation instead of formal probation.
Based on the seriousness of the charges, Stone rejected the request. “I think it is important to keep her on formal probation,” he said. Stone then ordered that Robinson be taken into custody.
The victim attended the hearing. In his wheelchair he wrote a statement to the court which was presented to Stone but was not read publicly.
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