PHILADELPHIA, PA – On Monday, District Attorney Larry Krasner, DAO First Assistant Carolyn Engel Temin, and members of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Elder Justice Unit (EJU) announced charges against three individuals for defrauding Philadelphia seniors.
Michael Williams and Summer Rifenburg are facing over a dozen charges, including Neglect of a Care Dependent Person, Theft By Deception, Burglary, Conspiracy, Tampering with Evidence, and Forgery.
The charges come after they conspired to steal the home of a senior suffering from dementia by fraudulently opening an estate in the name of the victim’s deceased father and transferring the house title. They were arrested on June 29, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31.
Josh Leyland is charged with Home Improvement Fraud, Theft by Deception, Conspiracy, and related offenses for defrauding a 77-year-old man out of $140,000 in 2019.
Leyland, who was part of a construction crew, convinced the elderly man that his home needed expensive repairs. After cashing the payment checks, Leyland fled to the UK. He was extradited back to the US and arrested on June 3.