Lila North was facing eviction from her assisted living facility in Woodstock after no one paid her rent in the fall of 2021, officials said.
Her 64-year-old son, Thomas Glenn North III, drained her savings, stole the funds from the sale of her home and took money from the family trust, leaving her penniless. Family members discovered her accounts were empty and went to investigators, who found that North had stolen $1.35 million over a three-year span, according to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.
North, who had his mother’s power of attorney, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count each of neglect and exploitation of a disabled, adult or elderly person, and 35 counts of theft. He’ll also be on probation for another 30 years, according to court documents.
The judge’s 10-year sentence was five years longer than what prosecutors had requested after his non-negotiated guilty plea.
North’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
North will also pay restitution to his mother: $1.35 million in a $50,000 payment each year, according to the DA’s office. He is also forbidden to have contact with the victim or family members.
“What is especially shocking about this case is that this defendant brazenly withdrew thousands of dollars on a regular basis until his mother was left penniless and no longer able to support herself,” District Attorney Susan Treadaway said in a news release. “A lifetime of savings was wiped out in three years.”
Court documents allege he wrote checks for himself from her bank account ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 at a time, sometimes multiple times per month.
Lila North is now relying on other family members for her care, according to the DA’s office.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
