Caretaker accused of using deceased man’s credit cards to rack up fraudulent charges

MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland woman was arrested earlier this week after investigators said she allegedly stole credit cards from her ailing patient and then used the cards to rack up more than $60,000 in charges even after the victim died. Crystal Victoria Barela, 35, has been charged with two counts of Credit/Debit Card Abuse of the Elderly and one count of Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information, all third-degree felonies.

According to a Midland Police Department report, on July 1, a man visited the police station to file a credit card fraud report. In a conversation with detectives, the man said his elderly family member had been hospitalized in March; during that hospitalization, the patient’s belongings had been returned to his home and were stored there during his hospitalization. The man said that during that time, the patient’s wallet had been accessibly only by his elderly wife and two caretakers hired to look after the aging couple.

In May, the elderly man died, and the relative told investigators that he’d been left in charge of the family’s finances and estate; while trying to settle the victim’s affairs, he learned that an American Express card had gone missing and that more than $50,000 in purchases had been charged to the card by someone outside of the family.

To that end, the estate executor said he believed that one of the caretakers, identified as Barela, or possibly her mother, the other hired caretaker, had used the card fraudulently. The man said he’d disputed the charges with the credit card company but needed a police report to help American Express refund the charges.

During a subsequent investigation, detectives said they observed security video from stores in which the stolen card had been used to make purchases and identified Barela as the one responsible for those purchases. Investigators said Barela allegedly used the card to purchase gift cards, a laptop, cell phone, and more.

On July 10, Barela visited the police department for an interview and allegedly admitted to stealing the card and using it to make purchases; however, when investigators asked for permission to search her phone, she declined. The phone was taken into evidence but before detectives could request a search warrant for the phone, they said Barela remotely restored the phone to factory settings in an attempt to destroy any evidence on the device.

As the investigation continued, detectives said they learned that Barela had also added two other cards belonging to the victim to her mobile wallet and had used those cards to buy cryptocurrency and gift cards; in all she reportedly used all three cards to make multiple purchases to the tune of $60,264.74.

On July 29, at the conclusion of a month-long investigation, detectives requested an arrest warrant and took Barela into custody. At the time of her arrest, investigators said Barela was also caught with methamphetamines and other drug paraphernalia; she reportedly told investigators that her drug use caused her to engage in criminal activity.

Barela was booked into the Midland County Detention Center where she remained as of Wednesday afternoon on a combined $750,000 bond.

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