Stephone Bennett, 36, was sentenced in Albany County Court on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to serve one-year-and-four-months to four years in state prison for attempted criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree. Bennett, of Albany, pleaded guilty to the felony charge on Nov. 6. The charges stemmed from an incident in July. Bennett, a home health aide for the victim, stole checks from the victim’s purse. She then forged the checks and cashed them at a local bank, which was captured on surveillance video. Bennett was also ordered to pay the victim full restitution, which totals $2,900.
“Many families depend on home health aides to take care of their loved ones, and in this case, the defendant did the exact opposite,” county District Attorney David Soares said in a statement. “We encourage anyone who believes they have been victimized to call our SALT hotline or your local police agency for help.”