Ghanaian woman arrested in US for stealing $800,000 from widow

A Ghanaian woman has been arrested in New York for stealing about $800,000 from an elderly widow in her care.

The 52-year-old Jackie Pokuwaah was reported by the Daily News to have stolen the money from Renee Fuld, the 85-year-old bedridden widow in her care.

Pokuwaah who has been working as an aide in the widow’s Queens apartment for seven years was said to have also illegally housed seven friends and relatives in the apartment.

She is now in custody on charges of grand larceny and stolen property for the check-writing scheme, which went on for almost three years, the report said, and she could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to the report Pokuwaah was found out when her twice-weekly visits to a TD Bank – often carrying $800 checks with “laundry” written on the memo line – raised red flags with employees, officials said.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi