A woman named Sandra Martinez, who's 34 years old, took a lot of money from her husband's family. She took $247,000 from a family trust fund between January 2021 and March 2023. This money was supposed to be saved for the family.
Sandra's father-in-law, Robert Chen, who's 68 years old, found out about this when he checked the trust fund. He saw that Sandra had moved money to her own bank accounts without permission. She was in charge of the family's money while her husband, Michael Chen, was very sick in the hospital.
Investigators found that Sandra moved money 47 times, taking out amounts between $2,500 and $15,000. She spent the money on expensive things like a new Tesla car and trips around the world.
Sandra's lawyer, James Patterson, says she was very stressed and upset while taking care of her husband. But most of the money she took wasn't for medical care or help; it was for things that had nothing to do with her husband's health.
The District Attorney, Sarah Thompson, has charged Sandra with crimes like stealing and cheating. If found guilty, she could go to prison for up to eight years and must pay back all the money she took.
Michael Chen, who's now feeling better, is getting a divorce and supports his parents in getting their money back. The court is now making new rules to keep this from happening again.
