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Home health care nurse turned personal assistant steals $140K from Polk County blind man: PCSO

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  November 15, 2024 5:07pm EST
Winter Haven
FOX 13 News

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Winter Haven woman was arrested after deputies said she stole more than $140,000 from a blind man who she worked for as a home health care nurse and personal assistant. 

    The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Carrie Hutchinson, 46, who is a private certified nursing assistant who had been practicing as a home health care nurse, is facing multiple charges, including grand theft and exploitation of the elderly. 

    "This woman's actions are despicable," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Taking advantage of an elderly man who entrusted her with his life savings while also paying her a good salary is inexcusable and unforgivable. She is now charged with three very serious felonies."

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    Detectives said the 77-year-old Winter Haven man, who is blind, started getting suspicious about his finances. That's when he asked a friend, who is a retired chief financial officer, to look into his accounts, according to PCSO. 

    Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

    Numerous fraudulent transactions were found, including one for "pop on veneers" that totaled $780, United Airlines tickets for Hutchinson's friend and Allegiant Airlines tickets for the suspect and four friends to fly to Maine, which totaled $1,588. Investigators also said that 270 orders were made on the victim's Amazon account between April 2021 and July 2024, that totaled $4,774.

    Hutchinson's four years of stealing from the victim included making ATM withdrawals, cruise payments, paying for photography classes, Vrbo rentals, pet supplies, animal hospital charges and her personal credit cards, PCSO said. 

    Detectives said she was first hired by the 77-year-old man as a home health care nurse for his wife in January 2020. After his wife passed away, Hutchinson was hired as a personal assistant, which meant she had access to his accounts in order to pay his bills, do his shopping and take care of his finances. 

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    She was paid $5,800 a month until 2024, which is when she started receiving $6,000 a month for the job as a personal assistant, according to the sheriff's office. 

    The victim confronted Hutchinson about the thefts after she returned from a cruise in July and fired her. Detectives said she told him that she was "borrowing" the money and was going to pay him back, but wouldn't be able to after she was fired. 

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