Cleveland woman sentenced for stealing $46K from elderly victim in fraud case

CLEVELAND (WJW) — A Cleveland woman who forged a power of attorney to steal thousands of dollars from an elderly person was sentenced to prison Monday.

Tanya Alahmad, 46, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and was ordered to pay more than $46,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Court records say the fraud happened between November 2019 and February 2022, when Alahmad became friends with the victim and stayed at their home a few days a week. Alahmad would clean the house and run errands for the victim during this time.

Investigators say Alahmad forged the victim’s signature to make herself power of attorney so she could get credit and debit cards in the victim’s name and make unauthorized purchases.

“At times, the victim was hospitalized and in a rehabilitation facility while Alahmad continued to write checks from the victim’s bank account without lawful authority,” the DOJ said in a press release.

The victim and the bank lost more than $46,000 in the fraud scheme, investigators say.

Back in March, Alahmad pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

If you or an elderly person you know is falling victim to fraud, be sure to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311. These cases can also be reported online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.