Etowah County woman pleads guilty to exploiting elderly resident

An Etowah County woman pleaded guilty today to exploiting an elderly resident in an assisted living facility out of more than $10 million.

Lisa Talton Wells Daugherty, 57, of Attalla, pleaded guilty to four counts of felony first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person.

She was sentenced to five years in prison for each count and will serve that time concurrently, meaning she was sentenced to 20 years in prison total. Daugherty also agreed to relinquish all claims to about $5.5 million that is the subject of pending federal charges and will make restitution for the rest of the balance.

“Daugherty will feel the full force of justice after using her position as a caregiver to exploit a vulnerable elderly woman from her life savings,” said Alabama Attorney General Marshall. “This is an egregious example of financial fraud that continues to happen in our state, and I urge Alabamians to contact my office if they suspect someone is being used for Medicaid fraud or abuse.”

She was accused of taking more than $8.5 million in cash, more than $500,000 in personal property and nearly $1 million in property from an elderly resident living in an Etowah County assisted living facility, and she’s been held in the Etowah County Jail on a $1 million cash bond since she was arrested in July 2021.

The investigation was initiated by the attorney general’s office after a referral from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

Officials determined that, while Daugherty was employed as a care technician at Oak Landing Assisted Living in Etowah County, she became power of attorney for the elderly victim who was a resident of the facility and began transferring funds from the victim’s accounts to her own.

She then used the victim’s money to purchase expensive homes in Etowah County and at the beach, multiple vehicles and dental implants.