WAGRAM – A Virginia woman is accused of stealing more than $87,000 from her 83-year-old mother living in Scotland County.
Barbara Terry McDougald, 66, of Dumfries, Va., faces felony charges of identity theft, financial card theft and exploitation of an elderly adult.
The Scotland County Sheriff’s Office first received a complaint in September 2015 when the victim, Jessie Terry of Wagram , reported it.
McDougald had been caring for Terry, according to Capt. Ruben Castellon, chief detective with the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office.
“She was not a caretaker in an official capacity,” Castellon said. “She was just a trusted family member who attended to her mother, and she took advantage of that.”
McDougald is believed to have taken and cashed Terry’s retirement and Social Security checks and used money from her mother’s checking account, money market account, and bank credit cards to make purchases including a car and furniture.
“We had enough information to indicate that she purchased a vehicle, but we have not been able to locate it,” Castellon said.
McDougald is believed to have stolen a total of $87,572, the sheriff’s office said.
There was no physical or psychological abuse of the victim, but the case is considered elder abuse because of Terry’s age, according to Castellon.
McDouglad was arrested on Aug. 21 in Prince William County, Virginia on a fugitive warrant and extradited to North Carolina where she was served with 21 felony warrants.
Authorities said the crimes occurred between between 2006 and 2007 and from January 2013 to November 2015.
She was arrested on two counts of felony financial card theft, felony larceny of a motor vehicle, seven counts of felony identity theft, six counts of felony exploitation of an elderly adult, four counts of felony financial card fraud and common law felony forgery.
McDougald is being held at Scotland County Detention Center on a $75,000 secured bond.