A former caregiver has been charged with committing identity theft and stealing over $12,000 from an elderly victim in Vernon Hills while the victim was in the hospital, prosecutors said.
Trincetta Thompson-Crite, 29, of North Chicago, was charged with financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled victim over $5,000, aggravated identity theft of an elderly victim and identity theft over $2,000.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Emma Smoler said the Vernon Hills Police Department received a report of financial exploitation in January.
Officers learned Thompson-Crite had been employed by a company as a caregiver. Thompson-Crite was the victim’s caregiver.
The victim, who was over 85 years old at the time, had been in rehabilitation in February and March 2022 and Thompson-Crite had access to the woman’s Vernon Hills residence during the hospital stay, Smoler said.
The victim discovered someone, suspected to be Thompson-Crite, opened a credit card in her name while she was in the hospital, Smoler said.
Smoler said Thompson-Crite was the only person who had access to the elderly woman’s residence at the time.
Officers found there had been 22 ATM withdrawals, totaling $12,500, with the victim’s debit card.
The majority of them occurred at a bank in Waukegan.
Thompson-Crite was identified as the suspect seen on surveillance images for many of the transactions, Smoler said.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Thompson-Crite held on a $100,000 bond.
Potkonjak also ordered Thompson-Crite to no longer work as a caregiver as a bond condition.
Thompson-Crite was released from the Lake County Jail after posting 10% of her bond.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 20.