$500K bond for caregiver charged with stealing from elderly woman

A former caregiver suspected of stealing more than $630,000 from an elderly southwest suburban woman has been ordered held on a $500,000 bond.

Marion Issert, 65, of Joliet was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of felony senior financial exploitation, according to a statement from Palos Hills police.

Between June and October 2014, three female suspects took $631,000 from the bank account of the elderly woman, who was living in Palos Hills, police said.

Issert worked as a caregiver for the woman, according to a statement from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. The victim suffered from dementia and was unaware that anything had happened until bank employees became suspicious of multiple transactions on her account.

Prosecutors said Issert used a variety of tactics to defraud the money in the form of cash, personal savings accounts and Social Security checks.

She made at least nine unauthorized transactions at multiple banks, including two transfers totaling over $519,000 to an account in the name of Divine Mercy Mission that actually belonged to Issert, prosecutors said.

Detectives worked with the Plows Council on Aging and Cook County sheriff’s police, and ultimately found most of the money in accounts in two different banks, police said. The accounts were frozen, and authorities recovered all but $88,000.

All three suspects fled the area, but authorities found Issert living in Joliet, police said. They are still searching for the other two suspects, but believe they headed for the Philippines.

Issert’s bond was set at $500,000 by Judge Kerry Kennedy, and her next court date is scheduled for Feb. 5, prosecutors said.