A west suburban Villa Park woman is charged with stealing nearly $250,000 from her uncle, who was diagnosed with dementia.
Sharon Cermak, 60, of the 1S300 block of Buttercup, was charged with a felony count of financial exploitation of a person over 80, according to court records from the DuPage County sheriff’s office. Her bond was set at $100,000 on Wednesday.
Cermak began stealing from her uncle in June 2013, and used her power of attorney to withdraw money from his bank account, write checks to herself and others, and use her uncle’s debit card until November 2015, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said. The total amount stolen was nearly $250,000.
The alleged thefts were discovered by officials with DuPage County Adult Protectives Services, who brought the accusations to the attention of the state’s attorney’s office.
Cermak’s uncle has since passed away, prosecutors said.
