Serial Thief That Targeted Northeast Ohio Elderly Sentenced

A serial thief that targeted Northeast Ohio's elderly was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley announced.

Carlene McSwain, 57, was found guilty of stealing wallets from 18 people, nearly all of them elderly, while they were shopping at grocery stores in Cuyahoga, Lake, Medina and Portage counties. The average age of McSwain's targets was 74, O'Malley said.

“This serial thief was like a shark in the water, striking at least 18 vulnerable victims when they least expected,” said O’Malley. “She has nobody to blame but herself for her 15-year sentence.”

The first reported theft happened July 9, 2018 when a 79-year-old came to the Solon Police Department to report that her wallet had been stolen while shopping at a nearby grocery store. Inside her wallet was cash, multiple credit cards and her driver's license. Two of the credit cards were used fraudulently the same day the wallet was stolen, according to court documents.

The 79-year-old said she noticed a middle-aged woman following her around the store.

A few weeks later, on July 28, a 97-year-old woman reported a similar incident to Parma Police. The woman and her daughter, 70, discovered her wallet was missing while waiting in the check-out lane at the store, O'Malley's office said.

Investigators believe that between July 15, 2018 and November 14, 2018, at least 16 similar thefts were reported throughout Northeast Ohio. O'Malley's office said the thefts happened in Middleburg Heights, Strongsville, North Olmsted, Broadview Heights, Rocky River, Eastlake, Medina, Ravenna and Sagamore Hills.

The investigation into McSwain was conducted by multiple police departments. Officers used video surveillance to identify McSwain.

Court documents said McSwain used the stolen credit cards to buy iPads, smart watches, XBoxes and other items. McSwain pleaded guilty to multiple counts of identity fraud, money laundering, aggravated theft and theft.

Tawana McSwain, Carlene's daughter, is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing this week. She also faces charges of identity fraud, theft, money laundering and complicity.