Quadriplegic's caregiver goes to prison for stealing jewelry

The caregiver of a disabled Bensenville woman was sentenced Wednesday to 3 1/2 years in prison for pawning jewelry she pilfered from her employer.

Latasha Powell of Carol Stream was one of three caregivers who worked for the 63-year-old woman for more than a year while systematically robbing her of dozens of rings, bracelets and chains she sold at a pawn shop.

Powell, 36, faced probation or three to seven years in prison. In rejecting a plea for probation, DuPage Circuit Judge Robert Anderson said a message of intolerance must be sent regarding crimes against the elderly and disabled. He called her actions, "despicable."

During last month's bench trial, Powell argued the woman had given her most of the jewelry as gifts. She said police coerced the detailed written confession she provided, but there wasn't any proof of such misconduct. On June 10, Anderson cited "overwhelming" evidence in convicting Powell of theft and financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person. He acquitted her of a residential burglary allegation.

Afterward, state officials suspended her 10-year caregiver license. Powell still maintains her innocence. Her attorney, Salvatore Miglore, sought probation so that Powell could enter an alternative treatment program for defendants with mental issues. He argued Powell had a difficult childhood and suffers from severe depression and even attempted suicide after her arrest.

Her attorney also said she is a single mother raising four children, ages 17 to 5, who was struggling to pay bills.

"She was destitute," Miglore said. "At one point, she even lived in her car for a while. She got her GED and an associate's degree as a nurse's aide. She tried to better herself."

The bedridden victim had degenerative polio since 15, and depends on a respirator. Despite her disability, she told the judge in her victim-impact statement she was determined to be self sufficient and eventually obtained a master's degree.

She said the crime left her so shaken, she moved to a new town, sought pastoral counseling and hired a full-time, live-in caregiver at great financial hardship to feel more secure.

"The focus of my counseling was to alleviate my depression, try to eradicate my fears, and try to find forgiveness," she wrote in a statement to the judge. "Betrayal is never easy to accept in life or to overcome."

Prosecutors Mary Cronin and David Imielski sought the maximum seven-year prison term. Cronin said she is following up with state licensing officials to ensure Powell never has certification again.

"(The victim) was at the defendant's mercy and the defendant showed her no mercy," Cronin said.

Most of the jewelry, including some that belonged to the woman's mother, was not recovered. Police investigated all three caregivers who at the time worked for the woman. Police found two of the missing bracelets and a ring during a search of Powell's home.

The jewelry was valued at between $6,900 and $13,000. Powell sold the items to a Glendale Heights pawn shop on six occasions, receiving about $2,300, according to last month's trial testimony.

Powell had two prior misdemeanors - for retail theft and disorderly conduct, both in 1999. She likely will serve about 15 months of the prison term before being eligible for parole. Her attorney said her children's fathers will provide for their care while Powell is in prison.