KINGSTON – A former home health aide was sentenced to prison Friday after pleading guilty in September to felony grand larceny for stealing money from two elderly women under her care. The 59-year-old felon already has a previous conviction of misdemeanor larceny for doing the same thing to her own mother. For the misdemeanor, Yenzer had been sentenced to probation.
Ulster County Court Judge Bryan Rounds sentenced Jackie Yenzer to one to three years in state prison and ordered her to pay $10,000 restitution to her two victims.
The sentence arose out of thefts committed over several weeks in November 2022 by Yenzer, who was working at the time as a home health aide caring for the elderly mother and mother-in-law of retired Ulster County Undersheriff Eric Benjamin. A statement from retired Undersheriff Benjamin was read at sentencing, stating: “I have served the criminal justice system for over 40 years, more specifically in a law enforcement capacity, and while I am aware that this is a property crime, the manner in which it was perpetrated is very disturbing,” noting that Yenzer had earned the trust and affection of the family.
Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji said, “The conduct here is despicable. It exploited the trust that the victims had in her to make themselves vulnerable, believing that she had best intentions for them. This betrayal of trust makes it difficult for some of our elderly community members to accept such help even when so desperately needed. She stole money and property, but she actually robbed them of their peace of mind and sense of security, more than restitution can replace. It is equally egregious when we consider the difficulties in finding home health aides.”
Nneji’s Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Paul Derohannesian prosecuted the case and said “repeat offenders who prey on their family and on our aging community members should face consequences for their crimes, especially where they have…
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