Former state contractor charged with stealing from elderly person

A woman is charged with stealing money from an elderly person while she worked as a state contractor at an assisted living facility in west suburban North Aurora.

Mary E. Pfingston, 41, of Joliet, was charged with felony counts of financial exploitation of the elderly, theft and public contractor misconduct, according to the Kane County state’s attorney’s office and Illinois State Police.

From Feb. 1 2015 to April 30 2015, Pfingston stole between $5,000 and $50,000 from the victim, who was living at the long-term care facility, prosecutors said. At the time, Pfingston was an employee for Senior Services Associates, a company contracted through the Illinois Department of Aging.

During an investigation, state police identified several suspicious transactions by Pfingston from the victim’s bank accounts, including an attempted $15,000 wire transfer and a $4,000 cashed check, according to Illinois State Police.

Police arrested Pfingston Wednesday after a warrant was issued for her arrest, authorities said. On Thursday, her bond was reduced to $100,000 during an appearance in Kane County court. She was unable to post bond, and remains in the custody of the Kane County sheriff’s office awaiting a Dec. 15 court date.

If convicted, Pfingston, who is also known as Mary E. McMillan, faces a sentence of probation or between three and seven years in prison, prosecutors said.