Really Awful

Olga Ostern suffered a stroke and doesn't remember the lawyer who came to her room to oversee her signing a power of attorney. Last week her daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Christopher Gerard, were charged with 18 counts of felony theft, four counts of misdemeanor theft, three counts of criminal attempt, and one count each of criminal conspiracy and misapplication of entrusted property.

Bank records showed that Ostern's daughter paid her own bills and her own mortgage out of her mother's account. From June 18, 2007, and Sept. 5, 2007 she wrote checks on her mother's account that dwindled from a balance of $1.3 million to just $1427.

They also stole the Ostern's home. The deed was transferred for the price of $1.00. They moved into the home took over the master bedroom and put their father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, into the guest room. At one point Mrs. Ostern was told the house was no longer hers. Olga was bullied and eventually left when Christopher Gerard threw a large bag of coffee at her. She and her husband are now living with a son.

In less than four months they took $1,298,573 in cash. Add the value of the house which was worth 429,000, this woman and her husband were stealing at a rate of 21,594.66 a day, 899.78 every hour. From her own mother.

Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times March 26, 2009.