8:01am | A Long Beach woman who worked as a caretaker for an elderly woman whom she swindled out of millions of dollars was sentenced to four years in state prison Friday.
Li Ching Liu was convicted earlier this month of elder abuse via forgery and fraud after she stole the life savings of the 74-year-old stroke victim for whom she provided in-home care, according to the Press-Telegram.
Liu also faced a special circumstance charge of stealing more than $1 million, but the jury that convicted her did not find her guilty of the allegation based on the lack of a paper trail to prove it. Prosecutors contend, however, that Liu stole more than $4 million from the victim.
Long Beach Superior Court Judge Arthur Jean handed down the maximum four-year sentence begrudgingly, stating that Liu was lucky to be sentenced to just four years.
Had the jury been able to convict her of the enhancement, she would have faced a much steeper sentence.
Liu turned herself in to police in 2010, two years after police issued a warrant for her arrest. She spent that time evading police at large
The PT reported that Long Beach Police Department Detective Stacey Holdredge said the case is one she will likely never forget due to how “egregious” Liu’s crimes were.
The victim, who had amassed a small fortune through wise investments and business decisions, hired Liu in 2002 after suffering a stroke that left her in need of 24-hour care, the detective reportedly said. Over the next six years, Liu emptied the victim’s bank accounts by writing checks and depositing them in 63 different accounts at six different banks.
Upon being hired, Liu soon began to isolate the victim, who had been very social with extended family and friends, keeping her out of contact with her loved ones and the team of financial professionals the woman had previously employed, Holdredge reportedly said.
Liu even forced the elderly woman to sell a valuable strip mall she owned in Westminster, the PT reported. She used neglect and physical abuse to get the victim to comply, sometimes even withholding food from the victim.
Holdredge told the PT that Liu laundered more than $4 million before the banks noticed the suspicious activity and contacted the authorities. She used the money to satisfy a gambling problem as well as purchase large amounts of jewelry, a Porsche SUV, a home for Liu and her boyfriend in Temple City, a BMW for Liu’s son and college tuition at USC.
Both Liu’s boyfriend and son were arrested when the warrants were initially served and had already been tried and convicted of financial elder abuse.
The victim died before Liu’s trial began, according to the PT.