Couple Charged with Bilking $1.9 Million from Seniors
A husband and wife accused of bilking $1.9 million from hundreds of San Diego County senior citizens with a phony insurance scam will face 11 felony counts.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced today that Michael Woodward, 50 and his wife Melissa, 47, have been charged with burglary, grand theft, theft from an elder, tax evasion and other charges for their involvement in allegedly selling fake “in-home service agreements” to victims.
If convicted, they face up to 16 years in prison, officials said.
“The defendants in this case were ruthless and heartless in the way they targeted the elderly and sold them fake insurance policies,” Dumanis said in a statement. “I’m proud of the work our Insurance Fraud Unit is to bring justice to these victims and other senior citizens who became victims of elder abuse in the community. We’re also encouraging anyone who bought an in-home service agreement from these defendants to come forward.”
Authorities allege that for nearly 10 years, the couple targeted the elderly at their homes, telling them if they prepaid an annual fee, they could get an unlimited amount of non-medical services including cooking, cleaning, bathing, toileting, dressing, laundry, and shopping. The pair got 238 victims in the county to pay the fees.
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