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Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General Conway Announces Indictment in Financial Exploitation of Elderly Clinton County Woman
Attorney General Jack Conway and his Office of Special Prosecutions today announced that a Hardin County grand jury has returned an indictment against two Radcliff women on charges they financially exploited an elderly disabled woman, resulting in the loss of nearly $86,000.
The indictment alleges that 73-year-old Hazel Martin financially exploited Marie Farmer, formerly of Clinton County, who was at the time a disabled adult as defined by Kentucky law. Farmer is now deceased. The indictment alleges four counts of financial exploitation involving between $1,800 and $36,000 in each instance, occurring on several occasions between July 2009 and June 2010.
The indictment also alleges that Martin's co-defendant, 63-year-old Iris Hodge, facilitated the exploitation of Farmer by Martin by helping provide means and opportunity to carry it out. The indictment further charges Hodge with receiving stolen property of a value greater than $10,000 by knowingly possessing funds stolen from Martin worth more than $10,000.
Financial exploitation is a crime defined, under Kentucky statutes, as an act of obtaining or using a vulnerable adult's resources, including but not limited to funds, assets or property, by deception, intimidation, or similar means, with the intent to deprive the person of those resources.
This matter was investigated over the course of several months by the Attorney General's Department of Criminal Investigations together with assistance by the Hardin County field office of Adult Protective Services, which is part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. General Conway's Office of Special Prosecutions is handling the prosecution of the case at the request of the Hardin County Commonwealth's Attorney.
An indictment is an accusation only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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