Three caregivers charged with defrauding client in Amherst, N.S.

A photo of the Amherst Police Department on July 3, 2024. (Alana Pickrell/CTV News)

Three people employed as caregivers have been charged with fraud after they allegedly removed thousands of dollars from a client’s bank account in Amherst, N.S.

The Amherst Police Department says a woman reported in November 2023 that a “large amount of money” was missing from her bank account.

Police say the woman, who lives with Lou Gehrig’s disease and cannot move, requires several hours of care every day. They also say the woman received government funding so she could stay in her home.

Amherst police launched an investigation, which found that three staff members assigned to care for the woman had removed “large sums of money” from her bank account – allegedly to cover hours they had worked.

However, investigators found discrepancies between the hours of work reported and the actual hours they had worked.

Police arrested 29-year-old Clara Harvey, 41-year-old Stacy Leblanc and 20-year-old Gracie Meisner in December, following a 13-month investigation.

They have each been charged with fraud over $5,000 and appeared in court on Monday. They all adjourned their pleas and are due back in Amherst provincial court on March 17.

The Amherst Police Department is asking anyone with information about the case to contact them at 902-667-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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