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As part of the victim's treatment of tongue cancer, she had part of her tongue removed, making it difficult for her to speak and run errands. She hired Kelly Sharkey, 30, in late May or early June 2019 to assist her, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
The woman gave Sharkey her debit and credit card to make household purchases but never gave her authorization to use them for personal spending, the DA's office said.
The woman discovered unauthorized purchases on Nov. 26, 2019, and confronted Sharkey, who denied making them, authorities said.
Records from the victim's banks and surveillance footage from two Wawa locations and a tobacco shop, showed Sharkey making the unauthorized transactions, according to Bristol Township police detective Williams O'Keefe.
The bank records found that Sharkey made 50 unauthorized transactions for $3,720 on the victim’s credit card from June to December 2019, the DA's office said.
She also spent $13,701.19 in unauthorized transactions on the victim’s debit card from June 21, 2019, to Nov. 22, 2019, authorities said.
Some of the credit card transactions were used to put money in a Bucks County Correctional Facility inmate account belonging to the father of Sharkey’s child.
Sharkey pleaded guilty in September to access device fraud and theft by unlawful taking. She was sentenced Thursday by Common Pleas Judge Diane Gibbons to one year less a day to two years less a day in county jail.
Sharkey was also sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $17,421.19 in restitution to the victim and two banks.
In addition to these charges, Sharkey was also given concurrent sentences in five previous cases.
She pleaded guilty Thursday to retail theft, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia for an October 2017 arrest at a Walmart in Tullytown; harassment for a September 2020 child custody case; driving under the influence in Bensalem Township in May 2020; retail theft and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia for a May 2020 arrest at a CVS in Bristol Township; and retail theft for June 2020 arrest at a Wawa in Bristol Township.
The additional cases were prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber.
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