Caretaker or Con Artist? Woman Accused of Looting Alzheimer's Patient

What started as a fraud alert on a shopping site unraveled into a disturbing trail of betrayal. Police in Suwanee, Georgia, say a caregiver didn’t just break trust - she turned elder care into a personal shopping spree.

Red Flags and Fast Charges

On February 8, the power of attorney for an 82-year-old woman received a fraud alert from Truist Bank. The red flag? A $236.37 charge to Shein^® - a trendy online fashion retailer - charged to the patient’s credit card. According to a police report obtained by Channel 2 Action News, that card had been tucked away in the victim’s purse.

The charge didn’t go through, but it set off alarms. Within weeks, investigators uncovered more than two dozen suspicious transactions - including a $1,700 Lowe’s^® haul, rent payments, utility bills, and even a $16,000 car. The victim suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s, and her worsening condition had prompted a move from Visiting Angels in Tucker to another senior facility.

Shopping on Someone Else’s Dime

Detectives pointed to Briauna Michelle Powell, a 24-year-old home health aide from Stone Mountain, as the woman behind the spending spree. Powell had worked at Visiting Angels and regularly cared for the victim. Police linked the transactions to the timeframes Powell clocked in.

But it didn’t stop there. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Powell allegedly targeted at least three victims across Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, using their personal information to rack up charges and attempt to open new accounts.

“She was defrauding the people that she worked for, using their credit cards, bank account information, to purchase things,” said Suwanee Police Capt. Robert Thompson, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta. “I don’t know how she thought she’d get away with it. Maybe she thought, because they were elderly and they couldn’t care for themselves, so they wouldn’t notice.”

From Caregiver to Criminal Charges

Police issued a warrant for Powell’s arrest. She now faces nearly two dozen charges, including identity theft and elder exploitation. Authorities took her into custody and held her without bond.

Visiting Angels, where Powell worked before her arrest, confirmed her termination and emphasized that she had passed a background check. “We provide the highest quality service to our clients,” said owner Carolyn Easter, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “We followed company policy and this employee passed a thorough background check with no issues. She has been terminated and we continue to cooperate with authorities in this case.”

How to Spot a Wolf in Scrubs

Elder fraud often flies under the radar, especially when victims suffer from cognitive decline. Police urged families to stay alert and speak up. Capt. Thompson told Fox 5 Atlanta, “Everybody has elderly people in their families and you can’t always be there for everything, and when you have somebody coming to the house to help take care of them and then they just take advantage of them, it just hurts the public altogether.”

Investigators believe more victims may still come forward. Anyone who suspects Powell of wrongdoing should contact Detective Zaenglein at 470-360-0689 or email Dzaenglein@suwanee.com.

References: Caregiver accused of buying Shein outfits, paying bills with Alzheimer’s patient’s credit card | Georgia Elderly Caregiver Arrested After Allegedly Stealing From Her Patient to Purchase Shein Clothes, and That’s Not All | Home health aid accused of using elderly client’s money to buy car, pay rent