A caregiver and her mother have been arrested in the alleged ripoff of a disabled patient.
Crystal Shakeena Weatherspoon, 30, had been working as a caregiver for Great Expectations of Lake County, a facility that provides care for handicapped and disabled patients, when she allegedly obtained the debit card information for a mentally handicapped man living in Fruitland Park, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Fruitand Park Police Department. He noticed unauthorized transactions on his debit card and reported it to an official with Great Expectations, who contacted police. There were 18 separate transactions totaling $367.43.
A check revealed that Crystal Weatherspoon had been responsible for the man’s care and had been employed by Great Expectations from Oct. 2, 2020 to May 16 of this year. She “was terminated for policy violations and untruthfulness” but was “frequently moved from house to house to provide care for residents as needed” during her employment, according to the affidavit.
An investigation revealed the man’s debit card had been used to pay for calls to an inmate at the Lake County Jail. The debit card information had been manually entered into a system operated by a third party vendor which provides calling services for jail inmates. The information had been entered in January by 49-year-old Carvin Weatherspoon, mother of Crystal Weatherspoon and grandmother of the inmate who had used the phone services.
Both women, who reside together in Umatilla, were arrested Thursday on charges of criminal use of personal information and theft. Both were booked at the Lake County Jail and released after each posted $3,000 bond.
