By Bobby Kerlik
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- An Allegheny County Jail officer looted a 93-year-old widow’s bank account, opened a credit card in her name and made her name him a partial owner of her home, Allegheny County prosecutors charged Friday.
Detective Jackelyn Weibel of the District Attorney’s Office accused Mark Hendrick, 46, of Banksville of stealing more than $147,000 from Nerrie Kerr of McKees Rocks, and making himself the sole beneficiary of her $500,000 annuity and her $285,000 investment account.
“I don’t want that. I didn’t want it changed,” Kerr told detectives, according to an affidavit supporting the charges. “I don’t want Mark to get all of it. I never told anyone to change it. I want the original ones.”
Hendrick, who has been on workers’ compensation leave since January 2010, used to live in Kerr’s neighborhood. Her husband died about four years ago, according to the affidavit.
Neither Hendrick nor his attorney could be reached for comment. He was arraigned and released on $5,000 bond for charges of theft, access device fraud and misapplication of entrusted property.
Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman froze Kerr’s assets last week while prosecutors investigated.
According to the affidavit, Hendrick became power of attorney for Kerr in July. That month she set up a will naming Hendrick to get 25 percent of her estate. The remainder was to go to her brother, sister-in-law, two nephews and her church. The same month, Kerr signed over one-half interest in her home to Hendrick.
Detectives interviewed Kerr last week and informed her the beneficiaries of her investment account and annuity were changed from six people to just Hendrick.
Kerr said she didn’t remember signing over any portion of the house to Hendrick and said she never told him to take any money out of her bank accounts.
The investigation also revealed that Kerr had a Discover credit card and Hendrick was an authorized user. Kerr told the detectives she didn’t have any credit cards, according to the affidavit.
A Department of Aging investigator last month alerted the District Attorney’s Office of her concerns.
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