GREAT FALLS —
A woman who turned her caregiving role into a $700,000 heist from her elderly mother in Lewistown has been slammed with a four-and-a-half year prison sentence.
Roxanna Rae Lewis-Stella, 60, of Billings, pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after forging checks to drain her mother’s bank account while pretending to care for her.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris handed down the sentence, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. Lewis-Stella was also ordered to pay $725,145 in restitution to her victim.
“It shocks the conscience that after a lifetime of love from her mother, Lewis-Stella, when her vulnerable mom needed her most, stole so much of her money that her mom had to sell her home to move into an assisted living facility,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich. “Every case involving elder fraud and abuse is repulsive, but it is particularly odious when it is done by a family member.”
The government alleges that from November 2021 to July 2023, Lewis-Stella forged approximately 70 of her mother’s checks, including one attempt to cash a $500,000 check. She also reused checks by altering numbers and depositing them twice, and stole and pawned a 100-ounce silver bar from her mother.
Lewis-Stella further concealed her crimes by impersonating her mother on phone calls to the banks and intercepting mailed bank statements before her mother could see them. In addition, she stole and forged a $12,505 life insurance check written to her husband’s son, and used the money for personal expenses, including clothes, travel, entertainment, and cosmetic procedures.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla E. Painter and Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, with the FBI, Fergus County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Adult Protective Services conducting the investigation.
“Whether the perpetrator is a family member or stranger, we will continue to intensify our efforts to fight elder fraud and abuse to protect the generations who came before us,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich vowed.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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