The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Two women are facing charges for reportedly putting a man’s dead body in their vehicle and withdrawing money from his bank account in an alleged scam that news sources have compared to the film “Weekend at Bernie’s.”
According to reports, last week, two women who shared an Ashtabula, Ohio, home with an 80-year-old man discovered that he passed away in the domicile. The women had reportedly been to the bank with their roommate, and the financial institution had always allowed them to withdraw money from the man’s account if he was in the car.
A press release from the office of the police chief of Ashtabula County stated that the man’s housemates used the assistance of a third party and placed his body in an upright position in the front passenger seat. The women reportedly drove to the bank, and they were able to withdraw $900 from the man’s account since the teller at the drive-up window could see him in the car.
It was reported that after they left the bank, the women went to the emergency room at Ashtabula County Medical Center with the man’s body. They reportedly dropped him off but did not give the staff his personal information. They also left the premises before providing their names. A few hours after allegedly leaving him at the hospital, one of the women called and shared some of the man’s personal details.
The police went to the man’s home and found both women.
The women, who both have criminal records for an assortment of prior charges, are each facing preliminary charges of felony theft, and felony gross abuse of a corpse. According to jail records, they are not currently in custody.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.