Chester woman accused of exploiting seniors for personal gain

(WPHL) — A Chester woman is accused of defrauding residents of two senior living facilities, including the residents’ heirs and the facilities themselves.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday that Mia Hardy, 58, was arrested and charged by indictment with eight counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, two unnamed senior living facilities Hardy worked at used a “resident fund management service” (RFMS) to help manage resident funds.

At one of the senior living facilities, the indictment alleges that from around March 2020 through about August 2023, Hardy repeatedly exploited the RFMS. She is accused of issuing checks on resident accounts and making them payable to her family members and associates. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Hardy occasionally forged signatures on the checks or got an authorized signature on the checks “through misrepresentations to the authorized signer.” The indictment alleges Hardy generated around 49 checks totaling approximately $122,941. The indictment also alleges that Hardy exploited the RFMS system and the resident accounts to generate petty cash payments for herself.

At the other senior living facility, the indictment alleges that from around April 2024 through about July 2024, Hardy exploited the RFMS the same way as the first senior living facility. She is also accused of improperly obtaining a blank personal check on a resident’s personal Capital One bank account and issuing it to one of her associates.

If convicted on each count of wire fraud, Hardy faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.