RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces today that ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON of Columbus County, pled guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

From around 2015 to 2017, WILLIAMSON helped her elderly in-laws with day-to-day tasks, managed their medication, and payed their bills.  WILLIAMSON also stole approximately $96,500 from their bank accounts.  To assist in carrying out her scheme, WILLIAMSON submitted a Power of Attorney to BB&T for use on the their bank accounts, stole their checkbooks, wrote checks listing herself as payee, and forged their signatures on the checks.  WILLIAMSON also used their bank account information to pay her bills and shop online.  In order to carry out her scheme and avoid detection, WILLIAMSON submitted a fraudulent change of address form to the United States Post Office redirecting all of her in-laws’ mail from their home to  her home.  On at least five occasions, WILLIAMSON stole checks issued and mailed to her in-laws and deposited then into her own State Employees’ Credit Union account.  It was also determined that WILLIAMSON stopped refilling her in-laws’ medication and replaced the medication with vitamins. 

Investigation of this case was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Tamika Moses is prosecuting the case for the government.

For more information about DOJ’s efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, please visit the Elder Justice Website at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.  You can also contact the Victim Connect Hotline between 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday, at: 1- 855-4VICTIM (1-855-4842846), or contact the Elder Justice Coordinator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina at (919) 856-4530.