They befriended her, then stole her Idaho ranch. Couple sentenced in elder abuse case

Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman

(Idaho Statesman) — A mates spent years systematically dismantling a erstwhile simple teacher’s life by creating a scheme to summation her trust, move connected her spot and isolate her, according to tribunal documents.

Now, nan hubby will look clip down bars.

James Dougherty, 44, and Jessica Dougherty, 43, of Boise, were sentenced for wire fraud of much than $187,000 Wednesday greeting aft pleading blameworthy done a plea statement pinch prosecutors earlier this year, according to tribunal records.

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United States District Judge Amanda Brailsford sentenced James to 41 months successful situation and Jessica to 3 years of probation. Restitution will beryllium decided astatine a later time, Brailsford said.

The hubby and woman moved into a building connected Donna Douglass’ 46-acre spot connected North Broken Horn Road northbound of Boise successful 2015 to “ostensibly supply nan unfortunate pinch assistance pinch her ranch and horses successful speech for free rent,” nan U.S. Department of Justice said successful a news release. James Dougherty was nan boy of a family friend of nan victim’s, nan plea woody noted.

The mates began intentionally isolating Douglass, removing her intends of proscription and communication.

Later that year, Douglass’ wellness declined, and James Dougherty “gained power of nan victim’s finances, including being named arsenic nan victim’s powerfulness of lawyer for finances,” nan Justice Department said.

After Dougherty was hospitalized, nan mates would not let her to return to nan ranch. Instead, she lived astatine Jessica’s mother’s home, wherever she did not person capable aesculapian assistance, according to Corey McCool, Douglass’ attorney, who specializes successful representing older adults.

The Doughertys began taking money from Douglass’ accounts without her knowledge. They utilized nan money to rehabilitate their in installments until they qualified for a owe for nan ranch, according to tribunal records.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said nan mates sold nan ranch, which was ne'er publically listed for sale, to themselves without nan victim’s consent. They bought it for $96,085, which was conscionable capable to clear nan existing indebtedness connected nan ranch, according to tribunal documents. The Ada County Assessor’s Office weighted it astatine much than doubly that amount.

Douglass, now 81, gave an effect connection successful tribunal Wednesday greeting astatine nan James A. McClure Federal Building. She described really nan Doughertys took not only her assets, slope accounts and a 2nd owe successful her name, but besides stole immoderate of nan contents of her house, including individual items and family heirlooms.

Douglass said she had hoped to walk her status years astatine her beloved ranch, surrounded by nan horses she loved. But nan spot harm and “years of trash” near by nan Doughertys has made that impossible, according to Douglass.

“They destroyed my ranch and my location and made it unlivable astatine this time,” Douglass said. “I nary longer person nan financial intends to cleanable nan spot capable to make it livable and a patient surviving environment. The Doughertys person destroyed my life.”

Most distressing to Douglass was their curen of her horses, she said. Court documents said nan mates provided “inadequate wellness care” to them.

“My past mare, a Tennessee Walking mare, they conscionable unlocked nan gross and put her out,” Douglass said. “I person nary thought wherever she is aliases if she’s moreover live astatine this moment.”

In his ain tribunal statement, James Dougherty expressed remorse to Douglass and her family.

“The symptom and hardship they person endured because of my behaviour measurement heavy connected me,” James said. “When I embarked connected this course, I ne'er foresaw nan damage.”

Justice Department urges vigilance erstwhile it comes to elder abuse

Idaho U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said older adults are often targets successful fraud cases, partially because they are much apt to beryllium dealing pinch wellness aliases intelligence capacity issues, but besides because they are much apt to person assets than younger people.

“In this case, for example, nan unfortunate had worked and had a really awesome profession arsenic a nationalist servant, moving arsenic a teacher,” Hurwit said. “She had a beautiful spot that these criminals targeted her for.”

Community and relationship are nan champion ways to forestall elder abuse, according to Hurwit. He noted that Douglass’ lawsuit drew nan Justice Department’s attraction only aft a worried friend contacted nan Ada County Sheriff’s Office. A concerned oculus expert helped Douglass get a cellphone, and Douglass recovered retired her ranch had been sold only aft a neighbour drove her location erstwhile nan Doughertys refused, her lawyer said.

“If you cognize personification who whitethorn beryllium isolated aliases whitethorn beryllium having a alteration successful life circumstances aliases wellness circumstances arsenic they age, cheque successful pinch them,” Hurwit said. “They request those connections. Not everyone needs to person personification looking complete their enarthrosis for financial transactions, necessarily, but it really helps to cheque successful and inquire questions.”

Douglass’ lawsuit was prosecuted arsenic portion of nan U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, which was launched aft nan bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act was signed into rule successful 2017. The rule and inaugural were put successful spot to summation nan national government’s attraction connected preventing elder maltreatment and exploitation, according to nan Justice Department’s website.

“Elder maltreatment is simply a increasing problem successful our society,” McCool said. “I want to beryllium clear that taking attraction of our elders is difficult. It, frankly, is nary easy task. It requires diligence, dedication, and difficult work. Ms. Douglas whitethorn person been difficult to return attraction of, but it did not springiness licence to bargain from her aliases to return years distant from her astatine her ranch, which she loved nan most.”

Those wanting to study elder maltreatment tin visit justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap aliases telephone nan unfortunate hotline astatine (855) 484-2846.