Caregiver for elderly Hilton Head couple spent their money illegally, police say
A caregiver for an elderly Hilton Head Island couple with serious health issues is accused of using their credit card to make over $1,000 in fraudulent purchases, according to police.
The 57-year-old suspect was charged with exploitation and three counts of financial transaction card fraud on Monday, according to Beaufort County jail logs. All four charges are misdemeanors. The Island Packet does not name those charged with misdemeanors unless they are in a position of public trust.
Each count is for a transaction in March that police believe the suspect made using the Wexford Plantation couple’s credit card.
The suspect used the credit card to charge $643 at Hilton Head’s Harris Teeter supermarket; $428 at a clothing store called Shop!; and $84 at Walmart, according to a report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The purchases were made in Beaufort and Jasper counties, the report said..
The transactions happened between March 11 and March 16, the report states.
The man’s son noticed the suspicious transactions and reported them to the sheriff’s office, authorities say.
The suspect is currently being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center and is awaiting a bond hearing, records show.
