(NORWALK, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that an Ohio woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $100,000 in inheritance money from two children whose father died more than ten years ago.
Stacie Bement, 45, of Wakeman pleaded guilty today to two felony charges of grand theft and five felony charges of forgery.
An investigation by the Norwalk Police Department found that Bement stole the money from two trusts that the children's father created for them before his death in 2007.
Investigators found that Bement accessed the trusts by forging the signature of her husband, who was the trust custodian. She transferred the life insurance money to her personal bank account on multiple occasions between 2008 and 2012 and spent the money on a car, mortgage, and living expenses.
"Our number one goal in this case is to get the full inheritance back for these kids, because this defendant took every last penny that their father left them," said Attorney General DeWine. "A condition in this plea agreement is that the defendant must repay the entire amount she owes prior to her sentencing date."
Each child stands to receive more than $50,000 in restitution.
The investigation found that Bement, who was an area teacher at the time of her arrest in May, stole a total of nearly $100,000 in principal from the trusts, plus several thousand dollars in interest. She also created fictitious financial statements that made it appear as if the funds were still in the bank.
A sentencing date has been set for November 15, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by attorneys with Attorney General DeWine's Special Prosecutions Section.
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