TUCSON – Margaret Gastelum was sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding a 92 year-old homebound-victim after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
The court also ordered Gastelum to pay $184,648 in restitution for the victim’s losses.
Gastelum and her daughter, co-defendant Mona Lisa Rodriguez, provided home care assistance for the victim.
Rodriquez also previously entered a guilty plea for her involvement in the scheme, and is scheduled for sentencing on September 24, 2019.
In her plea agreement, Gastelum admitted that she and Rodriguez gained access to the victim’s banking information and fraudulently used funds from the victim’s bank accounts. Gastelum and Rodriquez further fraudulently used the victims’ credit cards and overcharged for elder care services without the victim’s knowledge.