UPDATE: Health Aide, Others Charged In Theft From Summit Senior

SUMMIT, NJ — A home health aide and two of her daughters have been criminally charged with stealing a combined total of more than $280,000 from a 91-year-old Summit woman. The aide's attorney said she will fight the charges.

Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo announced Monday that Denise Letren, 64, of Union Township has been charged with second-degree theft, second-degree theft by deception, and third-degree neglect of an elderly person for whom she had a responsibility to care.

Also, her daughters, 30-year-old Carmen Letren of Newark and 32-year-old Danielle Letren of Lake Hopatcong, are each charged with third-degree theft.

Attorney Jef Henninger said Monday night that his client, Denise Letren, will fight the charges. "Our client vehemently denied these charges," he said in a statement. "We attempted to show the Prosecutor's Office that these charges were completely baseless and that all charges were authorized. They were not interested in our side of the story so we look forward to demonstrating to the jury that none of these allegations are true. Our client has no criminal history and is not going to start a criminal career at 64 years old."

The prosecutor's office alleged in a press release that the money was spent on repairs to the aide's Lexus, as well as a wedding dress.

Prosecutors say, "The victim remained almost entirely homebound in a pest-infested, dilapidated apartment during this time – only leaving her residence to travel to church or medical appointments."

The 91-year-old victim needed home health services following hip surgery approximately six years ago, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Cronin, who is prosecuting the case.

Denise Letren was hired to care for the victim at her home around the clock, earning a weekly salary of $2,500 ($130,000 annually), Cronin said.

Investigators looked at personal financial records and conducted interviews. According to the release, "Starting in 2016 and on thousands of occasions thereafter, Letren made sizeable unauthorized purchases on the victim’s credit cards."

Letren allegedly used the funds to purchase items and services such as expensive meals, large purchases of alcohol, repairs to her Lexus, furniture, airline tickets, and men’s clothing, among numerous others, prosecutors said.

"Carmen and Danielle Letren were found to have leveraged similar methods to write themselves checks and use stolen funds on purchases such as a wedding dress," the release says.

The three defendants were served the charges against them on Friday, pending first appearances to take place in Union County Superior Court.

“Elder abuse is an insidious crime that takes many forms, and it is far more prevalent than one may think," Prosecutor Ruotolo said. "The National Council on Aging estimates that one in 10 Americans of age 60 or older have experienced it, and of the estimated 5 million cases that occur in the U.S. each year, as few as 1 of every 14 are actually reported to authorities."

Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison, while third-degree crimes can result in terms of 3 to 5 years.

These criminal charges are mere accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone who suspects that someone they know may be a victim of elder abuse is urged to contact their local police department or the New Jersey Department of Human Services Adult Protective Services.

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