Couple Accused of Stealing from Senior Clients; Police Look for More Victims
Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 | Updated 9:00 PM PDT
The husband of a caretaker charged with stealing more than $600,000 from an 85-year-old Laguna Woods woman was charged Tuesday in connection with the case as investigators sought more potential victims.
Leno Casini, 57, of Laguna Niguel, who works as an administrative assistant for the Los Angeles Public Defender's Office, was charged with two felony counts each of accessory after the fact and receiving stolen property and one felony count of second-degree burglary, Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche said.
The charges against Leno Casini come after his wife, Norma Ruth Casini, 51, was charged this month with a felony count of caretaker theft from an elder, 34 counts of fraudulently using a credit card, 24 felony counts of forgery, and a felony count of first-degree burglary.
Norma Casini also faces multiple sentencing enhancements for a loss of more than $150,000, white-collar crime more than $500,000 and property loss more than $200,000.
Both have pleaded not guilty and were being held on $610,000 bail, Labreche said.
Orange County sheriff's authorities today displayed 100 pieces of jewelry for reporters as investigators suspect there are more victims who have not stepped forward, Labreche said.
Norma Casini was employed by LivHOME, a caregiver service, and started working for the 85-year-old Laguna Woods woman, who needed 24-hour care, in November 2006, Labreche said.
In March 2009, a LivHOME employee made a surprise visit to the client's home and found Norma Casini was not at work as she was supposed to be, Labreche said.
After Norma Casini was fired, LivHOME officials found that the woman's savings had been drained from $700,000 in June of 2008 to about $5,000, Labreche said.
Norma Casini is accused of spending the money on Lasik eye surgery for her and her husband, private school for her children, concerts, travel, food and other personal items, Labreche said.
Nearly $20,000 was spent on care for her dog, including the services of a ``dog whisperer,'' Labreche said.
After Norma Casini was fired from that job, she started working with another company to care for an 89-year-old man and his 83-year-old wife in Mission Viejo, Labreche said.
A daughter of the couple who had been monitoring their checking accounts noticed a little more than $1,000 was taken out without their permission, Labreche said.
Norma Casini is accused of also taking a debit card, changing the personal identification number and using it to make purchases of about $1,150, Labreche said. She also allegedly took the woman's wedding ring and band, which had an inscription of the couple's initials engraved on them, Labreche said.
Leno Casini took the rings to a pawn shop in Irvine and allegedly told the broker the rings belonged to his dead mother, Labreche said.
