Jeanne Swain Was the Victim’s Accountant for 22 Years.
A Philadelphia-area accountant surrendered to authorities on Tuesday on charges she stole money from a 100-year old woman to support her gambling habit, according to Rose Quinn of the Delaware County Daily Times. The account, named Jeanne Swain, is accused of stealing $116,667.33 from the woman.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said Jeanne Swain wrote unauthorized checks to pay for various expenses she had incurred. Those expenses ranged from rental payments to health insurance to casino gambling. Whelan said the accountant had gambling debts in the $300,000 range.
Theft by Deception
The official charges against Swain include theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and several other related offenses. She was arrested and released on $250,000 unsecured bail. The condition of her bail is she must report for electronic home monitoring in 2 weeks, after she had an undisclosed medical condition treated. The 58-year old accountant must report to the bail office three times a week, to assure she has remained in the area.
On Jan. 19, 2016, Jeanne Swain is scheduled to appear before the Magisterial District Judge Walter “Sonny” Strohl in the Pennsylvania town of Middletown. That January 19 appearance is a preliminary hearing for the case, when the defendant enters a plea.
Was the Woman’s Accountant for 22 Years
Jeanne Swain was the alleged victim’s accountant for more than 20 years. In 2013, she was given the power of attorney over the then-98 year old woman’s finances. She is thought to have taken over $100,000 worth of cash from the elderly woman’s account, until someone at Temple University noticed suspicious activity.
An investigations manager at Temple’s Institute on Protective Services noticed a possible theft of funds from the woman’s account and contacted the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Senior Exploitation Unit. The Senior Exploitation Unit’s Detective Edward Kazlo began to investigate Jeanne Swain’s activities and found evidence to support his suspicions.
Detective Edward Kazlo’s Probe
The 100-year-old woman at the heart of the case is said to be a resident of Granite Farms Estate Assisted Living in Middletown. Kazlo eventually talked with attorney Joan Graner, who was hired by the woman’s son to investigate the situation. Graner told Kazlo that Mrs. Swain had been the accountant for 22 years.
From that point, Edward Kazlo began to investigate the victim’s Susquehanna Bank account statements. Those statements revealed a pattern of misuse of the woman’s funds.
Details of the Illegal Checks
Checks were written to pay the rent for Jeanne Swain, her ex-husband’s rent, her son’s college tuition, his health insurance, and her own state and federal taxes. When law enforcement executed a warrant on Swain’s residence, they learned she had written a number of checks to Parx Casino in Bensalem.
This led them down another avenue: the investigation of Swain’s gambling habits. When they investigated further, they learned she had spent at least $300,000 and possible more gambling at the casino.
Parx Casino Gambling Debts
Jack Whelan said, “Further review of Swain’s accounts and player’s card, revealed that she had lost a total of $292,072.53 in gambling activities over a five-year period.”
Detectives believe there might be other victims of Jeanne Swain, who built up a significant number of clients over the course of decades of work as a certified public accountant. It is unknown whether the potential victims are also senior citizens, though that is a possibility.
Praise for Investigators
The district attorney praised local law enforcement officials and the university officials who helped bring the case to light. Whelan added, “I want to commend Detective Edward Kazlo, as well as Temple University’s Institute on Protective Services, who work diligently to protect our elderly residents and bring justice for their families. Our seniors deserve to enjoy their retirement and hard-earned money without the fear of being victimized.“
