Woman sentenced to prison for stealing $300K from elderly couple

CHARLOTTE — Andrea Brawley, 46, of Conover, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for stealing more than $300,000 from her elderly relatives, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Brawley exploited her relationship with the couple to access their money and property from August 2016 to January 2023, according to court documents. She was supposed to manage the couple’s finances but instead stole money from their bank and company accounts.

The victims suffered financial losses because Brawley failed to make payments on their home equity line of credit, leading to the foreclosure and loss of their residence. She also drained their retirement accounts by forging retirement distribution forms without their knowledge.

Brawley hid her crimes by lying about the cause of the foreclosure and the victims’ financial and personal affairs. She kept the victims away from family members by taking their cellphones, impersonating them when communicating with third parties, taking them to various locations around the state, and preventing them from returning home. She also stole their identities.

Brawley pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Nov. 28, 2023. She was released on bond and will be ordered to a federal prison. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell described Brawley’s conduct as “outrageous” and ordered her to pay $628,174 in restitution.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

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