Pennsylvania Woman Allegedly Stole Mother’s Savings to Gamble

A 56-year-old woman in Pennsylvania is being accused of stealing her mother's retirement savings to fund a gambling addiction. 

Per court documents, Kelly Jo Wright became her mother’s power of attorney in 2022. Her mother has been dealing with early-onset dementia. 

Now, per local prosecutors in Jefferson, they’re alleging Wright cashed out her mother’s IRA of $123,000 and used it to play at casinos in the Keystone State and Upstate New York. 

Coincidentally, a 56-year-old woman was accused in Florida of stealing funds from an elderly couple she was the caretaker of in Florida in November. 

Went Against Financial Advice

In dissolving the IRA account, Wright allegedly went against advice from a financial advisor who managed the account. Despite this recommendation, Wright terminated it. 

From here, an investigation found that Wright was using the funds to pay for personal things, including gambling expenditures, over 18 months from March 2022 to September 2023. 

She’s also accused of cashing out other bank accounts for about $27,000, for a total of roughly $150,000. 

Her Casino Losses 

Wright gambled the money away, losing most of it playing skill games at local outlets in Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville. These are unregulated slot-like games in the Commonwealth. 

The investigation also found that she spent time at Seneca Casino in Salamanca, New York, which is about an hour and 15-minute drive from Ridgway. 

While there, Wright signed up for the rewards program, which included a win/loss statement. 

It revealed that Wright lost a total of $24,000 between 2022 and 2023, with $17,000 coming in 2022. 

However, if she wagered without scanning her rewards card first, there could be even more unaccounted-for losses. 

Her mother was receiving $1,600 per month from social security. 

The Charges and Other Legal Issues

Wright has been charged with four felony counts. These include financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, theft by deception-false impression, theft by deception-failure to correct, and theft by deception-prevent acquisition of information. 

She’ll appear in court on Monday, January 6, for a preliminary hearing. She’s still in custody, and her bail has been set at $100,000. 

Wright has a past. She was considered a caretaker of animals, and in April, she was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals that resulted in death. That is a third-degree felony. She was charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty. 

Additionally, she was charged this month with felony intent to manufacture or deliver illegal narcotics. The allegations include Wright using Facebook Messenger to purchase hydrocodone pills and fentanyl from a person who was a police informant. 

She now faces charges related to drugs, animal cruelty, and her elderly mother.