(WBRE/WYOU) — A Carbon County couple has been indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly defrauding a 93-year-old woman out of over $1 million.
Christen Lee Cosgrove, age 40, and Brian Cosgrove, age 37, of Weatherly face 59 charges including conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
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The 93-year-old victim, Christen Lee's grandmother, was the sole beneficiary of her son's and Christen Lee's father's estate after his passing. Christen Lee was the executrix of her father's estate. The victim was moved into a senior living facility after her son's death and Christen Lee gained power of attorney over the victim, the indictment reads.
The indictment alleges that over the course of seven months, the Cosgroves then violated the power of attorney by using the estate to their own benefit, rather than the benefit of the victim. For example, the indictment states that Cosgroves spent the money from the victim's accounts on things such as rifle scopes, archery equipment, vacations, and a $64,000 Winnebago, among other purchases.
The Cosgroves obtained and spent over $1 million in funds designated for the victim for their personal expenses, according to the indictment.
The indictment also states the victim faced eviction from the senior care facility because the Cosgroves did not pay the monthly bills required for her residence.
The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years of imprisonment and the maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment.
