October 16, 2024
Bill Oxford/Unsplash
Carlton Rembert and his late sister, Gloria Byars, conspired to steal over $1 million from incapacitated wards of eastern Pennsylvania.
A man who swindled elderly people in eastern Pennsylvania out of their savings was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.
Carlton Rembert, 70, conspired with his late sister Gloria Byars in the yearslong scheme. Between 2012 and 2018, the pair stole over $1 million from at least 120 incapacitated wards, exploiting Byars' position as their court-appointed guardian. With her access to the wards' bank accounts, she wrote unauthorized checks to shell companies controlled by herself, Rembert and a third conspirator, Alesha Mitchell. The trio billed the companies as medical service providers, making Byars' checks look like legitimate expenses.
Rembert deposited the checks into five business bank accounts he opened in his home state of Virginia, ultimately withdrawing over $388,000 in cash. He also acquired $217,082 in certified checks, split between himself and Byars. The siblings spent the stolen funds on vacations, vehicles, gifts, parties, clothing and restaurants.
When federal investigators questioned Rembert, he initially lied about his crimes.
A jury found Rembert guilty of fraud and conspiracy in 2023 after a four-day trial. In addition to his prison sentence, he received five years of supervised release. He will also have to pay the victims $534,335 in restitution and a $400 special assessment.
Mitchell will be sentenced Oct. 24.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer characterized the case as one of the first instances of guardianship fraud to be prosecuted. His office's criminal investigation division worked in collaboration with the FBI and IRS.
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