Attorney General Becerra Secures Two-Year Jail Sentence Against San Diego County Woman Responsible for Financial Elder Abuse and Theft of More Than $160,000

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today secured a two-year sentence against Jeannie Ellen Mercier on felony counts of financial elder abuse, grand theft, embezzlement, and identity theft. Mercier carried out these felonies in defrauding her 86-year-old aunt of more than $160,000 over the course of two years. In addition to the jail sentence, Mercier is required to return to court on June 18, 2020 to determine the amount of victim restitution she will be ordered to pay.

“No one should ever have to fear losing their savings to fraud and deceit, especially at the hands of a relative in a trusted position,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Targeting the vulnerable is unacceptable. My office is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who take advantage of elderly Californians.”

The sentence comes after Mercier was found guilty on all felony counts by an El Cajon jury on December 3, 2019. The criminal conduct began when Mercier started to abuse her position as power of attorney and trustee for her elderly aunt after her aunt moved from her personal residence to the memory care unit of a San Diego County retirement home. Mercier willfully and unlawfully used her aunt’s personal identifying information to exhaust her aunt’s life savings, including more than $120,000 that Mercier spent on gambling at six southern California casinos and on games on Facebook. At the same time, Mercier failed to use her aunt’s long-term care insurance policy to pay for her aunt’s room and board, leading to more than $34,000 in unpaid rent. The crimes in this case occurred from December 2013 to December 2015. The investigation was initiated after the victim’s other family members contacted San Diego County Adult Protective Services to report the suspected financial abuse. Upon receiving the referral, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigated and prosecuted the matter.

The California Department of Justice works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state. The department also regularly works with whistleblowers and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute fraud perpetrated on the Medi‑Cal program. If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of elder abuse or Medi-Cal fraud, you can report it to our office by calling (800) 722-0432 or by visiting our website and filing a complaint here: https://oag.ca.gov/bmfea/reporting.

Attorney General Becerra is committed to protecting and defending vulnerable Americans. Last year, the Attorney General took on the operators of a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in the loss of more than $7 million from victims across California, many of whom were elderly and in financial distress. Attorney General Becerra also filed charges against a doctor in connection with the deaths of five patients alleged to have been the result of dangerously over-prescribing powerful narcotics and opioids. Earlier last year, the Attorney General secured a 17-year jail sentence against a man responsible for defrauding elderly investors of more than $2 million. Attorney General Becerra also issued guidance to help Californians identify and report elder abuse.

A copy of the charges previously filed against Mercier are available here.