ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — Cynthia King, 64, of Amesville, Ohio, was sentenced to a minimum of four years and a maximum of six years in prison for stealing over $216,000 from the estate of an elderly family member. According to the court, King was the caretaker and power of attorney of her aunt and wrote many checks to herself from her aunt’s account.
The investigation revealed that King had stolen the money and spent it in various ways, although when asked by the court, King stated that she did not have the money and that she had become mixed up in a scam with individuals from Jamaica and that all of the money went to them.
The case attracted significant attention as King had been appointed power of attorney and caretaker of her aunt through a private attorney, rather than through Probate Court, which raised questions about the legal process that led to her appointment.