A healthcare aide working for Lutheran Community at Telford in Telford Borough is facing more than three dozen felony charges after she allegedly stole an elderly patient’s credit card and made a variety of personal purchases.
Crystal Brito, 29, of Macungie, has been charged with 37 felony counts of access device fraud, as well as misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, receiving stolen property, and related offenses. She’s currently free on $50,000 unsecured bail, following her arraignment on Jan. 29.
Police said they learned of the theft in November, after the daughter of a care-dependent woman reported that her mother’s debit card had been stolen and 37 unauthorized transactions had been made between Nov. 7, 2023 and Nov. 20, 2023, totaling $1,254.72. Investigators were provided with a list of 12 visiting aides that had assisted the woman in the days leading up to the alleged theft, and police said the majority of unauthorized purchases were made in the greater Allentown area.
By comparing the locations of the purchases to the home addresses of the aides, investigators said the unauthorized purchases essentially painted a path from Lutheran Community at Telford and the home of Brito in Macungie. Additionally, police said Brito was the only aide residing in the area where the majority of purchases were made, with five of the purchases being made within one mile of Brito’s home.
Further investigation revealed surveillance footage of Brito using the stolen card to purchase groceries, lottery tickets, and gasoline, the report states. She also signed her own name on several receipts and used the card to make online purchases through Walmart, which were shipped to her home, police said.
According to the criminal complaint, the Telford Borough Police Department is investigating additional theft cases from the same facility, with Brito being named a suspect in those cases.
A representative from Grace Inspired Living, which includes the Lutheran Community at Telford, said Brito was not an employee and was instead an aide sent from another agency to fill in at the Telford facility. The representative added they are cooperating with police as the investigation continues.
Court records show Brito’s next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on April 2 at 3 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
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