Courts.
A healthcare aide working for Lutheran Community at Telford in Telford Borough who was arraigned in January on felony charges related to the alleged use of a stolen elderly patient’s credit card for personal purchases is now facing even more felony charges with police identifying two more victims.
Crystal Brito, 29, of Macungie, was charged in April by Telford Borough Police with felony financial exploitation, 17 felony counts of access device fraud, seven misdemeanor charges of access device fraud, and a misdemeanor charge each of receiving stolen property and possession of a counterfeit access device, per court documents.
Then, Brito was charged separately for a third time last month, with police adding 71 counts of felony access device fraud, a felony charge of financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, and misdemeanor charges of theft, receiving stolen property, and possession of a counterfeit access device, per court documents.
In January, Brito was 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.
Brito is free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
On Dec. 21, 2023, police responded to the community for a second report of a stolen debit card, where a friend of a dementia patient told police of the unauthorized use of the patient’s card, police said.
Police said the illegal activity began Dec. 9, 2023 and continued through Dec. 14, in which $248.19 was spent across seven transactions, and a total of $4,023.49 in 17 declined charges from unsuccessful online purchases.
According to court documents, the card was eventually closed on Dec. 20, 2023, and most of the transactions occurred in Macungie and Allentown.
Two of the seven transactions, police said, occurred at the Wawa in Hilltown and the Starbucks inside Giant Market in Hilltown, and surveillance video shows Brito using the card at both locations.
In the third case, police said they were informed of a third victim in January, and officers spoke to Univest Bank and Trust officials, who told police there were multiple unauthorized transactions on a 90-year-old customers account, originating in Allentown.
All in all, police said there were 71 transactions totaling $4,676.11, and they found Brito on surveillance at the Giant Market in Trexlertown using the stolen card.
Police said they learned of the first 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.
A representative from Grace Inspired Living, which includes the Lutheran Community at Telford, said in February that 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 June 11 at 2 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.
