Filipinas among 3 Michigan care givers charged with embezzlement

LANSING, Michigan — Authorities have charged three home health care aides, including two Filipinas, with embezzling nearly $40,000 from an elderly woman.

Debbie Seloberes, 22, her 27-year-old sister, Daenie Quimba, and Michele Covert, 52, face charges of embezzlement from a vulnerable person, the Lansing State Journal reports. East Lansing company AdvisaCare has fired all three.

Court records say the trio were caring for an 87-year-old woman who needed around-the-clock care when they allegedly made “excessive food purchases,” including spending more than $1,200 on a single grocery visit.

The victim hasn’t worn dentures in several years and has a limited diet. Her daughter-in-law alerted police after noticing strange purchases and missing money.

Brian Morley, the attorney for Quimba and Seloberes, said the sisters maintain their innocence. He reported language and communication problems. Filipino nationals Quimba and Seloberes requested a translator for court hearings.

Quimba and Seloberes’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 19.