Saginaw woman pleads guilty to embezzling more than $100K from mother
By Brianna Owczarzak
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SAGINAW, Michigan (WNEM) — A Saginaw woman pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $100,000 from her mother.
Valda Cork, 60, of Saginaw, is accused of spending more than $1.1 million of her mother’s money over a 12-month period, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Cork pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more from a vulnerable adult. She agreed to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution to her mother’s estate and the Michigan Department of Treasury.
Cork was appointed her mother’s guardian and conservator in 2018 after her mother suffered multiple strokes and was unable to care for herself, the Attorney General’s Office said.
During a 12-month period, Cork spent more than $1.1 million of her mother’s money, which included $228,817 in spending Cork did not report to the probate court, and $664,872 for the purchase of a condo in Pompano Beach, Florida, the Attorney General’s Office said, adding Cork did not have court authorization for the purchase.
The AG’s office believes Cork planned to inherit the condo from her mother’s estate without having to go through probate court. After the court appointed a new guardian and conservator for Cork’s mother, the condo was sold and the proceeds went back to her mother’s estate, the AG’s office said.
“Unfortunately, even family members cannot always be trusted to safeguard the property of their loved ones. We always warn vulnerable adults and those who care for those adults to be cautious about who has access to a protected person’s property,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “Vulnerable adults should be able to live in comfort without being taken advantage of by those appointed to care for them.”
A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
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