ST. LOUIS, MO. — A Georgia woman who targeted a 74-year-old widower living in a nursing home and took control of his finances was sentenced Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri announced.
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Shanita Gray, 52, of Georgia, was sentenced to 100 months behind bars after a judge found she exploited the man’s vulnerability, forged legal documents, and stole $453,000 meant to support him and his family. She was also ordered to repay the stolen money and was taken into custody immediately.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp compared Gray to a shark that sensed a vulnerable victim and took full advantage “with the relentless desire to fulfill your greed.” He said she continued to lie even after pleading guilty to her crime by falsely claiming that a bogus power of attorney was legitimate. She has also filed complaints and lawsuits against those who tried to stop the fraud. “You’ll say and do whatever it takes to benefit yourself,” he told Gray.
Court records show Gray created a fake financial power of attorney by altering notarized documents to make it appear the widower had granted her authority over his finances.
Authorities said she presented the documents to a licensed notary public in Georgia.
Prosecutors said she used the forged paperwork to access his medical records and bank accounts, causing what they described as “substantial financial hardship.”
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Authorities said Gray moved quickly after learning the victim’s eldest son had died. Within 48 hours, she traveled from Georgia to St. Louis and began going through the man’s home, gathering personal and financial information belonging to him, his late wife, and his mother.
That information was then used to drain money from accounts, fund luxury purchases, and finance first-class trips to Hawaii and the Dominican Republic, according to prosecutors. Court filings say Gray spent the stolen money on high-end brands including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace, and Queen’s Jewelry, while also transferring cash directly to herself and relatives.
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Testimony from the nursing home’s former director undercut Gray’s claims of authority. The director told the court the widower did not want Gray in his home, did not want contact with her, and did not want her managing his money. His intent, the director said, was to preserve his remaining assets for his youngest son.
Prosecutors said Gray’s actions left the elderly man financially and emotionally vulnerable, the very outcome, the judge said, she was willing to cause in order to benefit herself.
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