Report: Chester caretaker stole thousands of dollars from disabled man

A Chester woman took more than $7,000 from a man she was caring for, according to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.

Toni Spiotta, 42, was charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, according to jail records. She remained in the Chester County Detention Center on Wednesday.

Spiotta was the caregiver for a 64-year-old Chester man and provided for his physical needs by bathing and dressing the man and making sure he took his medications, according to an arrest warrant. Between January 2015 and April 2016, the warrant states, Spiotta wrote and signed several checks on the victim’s account totaling more than $2,000 that she converted for her personal use.

Spiotta also made more than $5,000 in charges to the man’s credit card, investigators say. The warrant says the victim is vulnerable due to his “depleted physical condition.”

Deputies began investigating in early May after the victim’s brother-in-law reported forged checks, according to an incident report. The victim’s wife holds his power of attorney and discovered that checks had been fraudulently written to Spiotta.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Report: Chester caretaker stole thousands of dollars from disabled man."