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HANOVER TWP. — A home health caregiver and her boyfriend were arraigned Tuesday on charges they unlawfully used bank and credit cards of a man diagnosed with cerebral palsy for personal purchases.
Tiffany Lynn Shotwell, 30, and Shawn Michael Cook, 25, both of Westminster Street, Wilkes-Barre, used a bank card and a credit card for the 71-year-old man at various stores to buy cellular phones, iPads, food and appliances totaling $8,280.43 from Dec. 7 to March 31, according to court records.
Shotwell and Cook were arraigned by District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township on two counts each of access device fraud, theft, receiving stolen property and six counts of criminal conspiracy. They were released on $50,000 unsecured bail, each.
Charges were filed after an investigation by township police.
According to the criminal complaints:
An aide to the man who resides in the Lee Park area told police March 28 Shotwell failed to show up at the residence for work. She is employed as a home health provider caring for the man in his residence.
Police were told Shotwell used the man’s bank card and credit card to purchase items without permission. The man learned of the unauthorized purchases when he contacted his bank about a negative balance of his checking account.
When Shotwell was confronted in January, she pledged but failed to repay the man, the complaint says.
Police learned Cook accompanied Shotwell to the man’s house during her shift.
During an interview with police, Shotwell and Cook admitted to using the man’s bank card and credit card saying, “It was a mistake,” the complaint says.
The complaints list purchases allegedly made by Shotwell and Cook at various stores, including Walmart, Turkey Hill, Burger King, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Sunoco service station and King of Kings Electronics.