Protecting the Elderly in New Mexico

AG’s Office helps obtain 75 year sentence for scammer

August 24, 2007 -- (SANTA FE) - New Mexico Attorney General Gary King’s office assisted the Grant County District Attorney in putting a Silver City woman behind bars for stealing money from senior citizens. Seventh Judicial District Judge Kevin Sweazea last week sentenced 41 year-old Teresa Flores Quinteros to 75 years incarceration after she was found guilty of swindling more than $100,000.00 from elderly Grant County residents. Quinteros received a total of 40 years after the judge suspended 35 years of her sentence because she agreed to provide partial restitution to her victims.

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AG King’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Division teamed with the county authorities to bring Quinteros to justice. Division director Elizabeth Staley says, “Financial exploitation cases are devastating for victims and cases involving the elderly are all the more devastating because the money that is stolen from them often is their life savings. We are gratified that in sentencing Ms. Quinteros, Judge Sweazea sent a strong message that crimes against our elder citizens will not be taken lightly.”

Quinteros apparently used her position as a hired caretaker for her elderly victims to convince them to give her various sums of money.

Arrested in August 2005, Quinteros was charged with 24 counts of fraud totaling more than $100,000.00. During sentencing, her attorney asked the judge to suspend all prison time and impose five years of probation.

Source: New Mexico Attorney General