BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — A Bremerton, Wash., man accused of bilking an 86-year-old woman out of more than $80,000 has been charged with first-degree theft.
The Kitsap Sun reports (http://bit.ly/nBUCrb) that Kitsap County prosecutors charged 74-year-old Leroy Joseph Williams on Friday. Police say they think the man gambled the money away at a casino.
A Kitsap Bank employee contacted Bremerton police when Williams tried to cash a check on Aug. 19. Bank officials said he had cashed more than $15,000 in checks from the same account over the past several weeks. Williams reportedly told police the woman had “full knowledge” of the checks.
She is recovering at a nursing home after hip surgery. According to a police report, she confirmed she wrote the checks and said Williams was a “dear friend.” But the report says she seemed confused at times and her answers seemed “coached.”
