SSF Woman Pleads No Contest To Draining Parents' $200K Retirement Account

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA – A South San Francisco woman pleaded no contest Tuesday in an elder abuse case where she stole more than $200,000 from her parents' retirement account, prosecutors said.

Jeanine Bernadette Jantoc, 45, lived with her parents. Her mother had a stroke in 2010, and her father asked Jantoc to research tax penalties for early withdrawals from their retirement account.

Those withdrawals were never authorized, but between 2013 and 2016 Jantoc emptied her parents' retirement account and opened up a series of credit cards in their names. When finally confronted, she left home, leaving an apology note and claiming to be addicted to gambling, prosecutors said.

Jantoc was not reported by her parents, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, but other family members reported the theft and her parents cooperated with the investigation.

Jantoc pleaded no contest to felony elder theft and felony identity theft. She's facing a maximum of two years in prison when she returns to court for sentencing July 20.

"The person belongs in state prison," Wagstaffe said. "In our mind there's no question about that."

"The question is how long?" Wagstaffe said.

Jantoc remains in custody on $450,000 bail.

Her defense attorney, Adriana Eberle, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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