ARBOR VITAE, Wis. (WFRV) — A Wisconsin woman has been sentenced for stealing over $400,000 from an elderly individual she provided in-home care for and spending nearly half of the money at casinos.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, 29-year-old Kassie Wujkowski, from Arbor Vitae, will spend 18 months in initial confinement followed by 18 and a half years of extended supervision after pleading guilty to two counts of theft greater than $10,000. She was also ordered to pay $302,960.54 in restitution related to stealing over $400,000 from a 70-year-old.
Between Oct. 2017 and Oct. 2019, Wujkowski reportedly made 1,324 transactions with the victim’s credit card totaling $313,774. Of that amount, nearly $140,000 of it was spent at casinos.
Additionally, despite only having a $1,250-per-month salary, investigators say Wujkowski spent over $20,000 on her own credit card bills and paid herself and her family over $80,000.
“Elder fraud and exploitation is a growing problem, with an estimated $77.8 million lost annually in Wisconsin. It is also a vastly underreported crime,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul.
The case was investigated by the Department of Justice of Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office.