A man convicted of stealing more than $90,000 from his aunt was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said.
Dwaine Jervis, 41, was found guilty of two counts of theft by taking and one count of exploitation of an elder person. He was sentenced to 10 years, with nine of those to be served on probation, and ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution.
The exploitation began in 2016 when Jervis’ now 91-year-old aunt sold her home in New York after her husband died, according to the DA’s office. Jervis reached out to her and convinced her to move in with him and his wife in Georgia.
The aunt added his name to her bank accounts and he began withdrawing money, the office said. In less than 18 months, Jervis had taken more than $90,000. Due to the frequent withdrawals, Chase Bank froze the account in August 2017 and reported the activity to Adult Protective Services as possible elder abuse, according to the DA’s office.
It was initially difficult for police to locate the victim, but she was eventually found living with a family friend and told officials that Jervis had suddenly moved out of his home and left her behind, DeKalb officials said.
In court, Jervis testified he had withdrawn the money to purchase his aunt a home in Jamaica, but he did not provide any documentation to prove the claim, according to DeKalb officials. He also admitted to authorities that if the account had not been frozen, he likely would have continued to spend the victim’s money.
According to the terms of his sentencing, Jervis is also prohibited from contacting his aunt, visiting her residence and possessing a firearm.
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