By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 42-year-old Stillwater woman, who remains free on $5,000 bail, has been ordered to appear in court on Aug. 21 with an attorney for arraignment on a Payne County charge accusing her of financial exploitation of an 84-year-old resident at Golden Oaks Village in Stillwater where she was working as a housekeeper.
Due to a previous embezzlement conviction in Grady County, Laverna Mae Gilbert could be given a prison term of two years to life if found guilty of obtaining $181.29 from a resident’s personal checking account to pay her Oklahoma Natural Gas bill, according to the felony charge filed last week.
On March 13 at 4:46 pm, Stillwater Police Officer Roland Gee was sent to Golden Oaks Village at 5505 W. 19th where a resident said, “he received notification that a charge of $181.29 was made on his checking account to Oklahoma Natural Gas,” where he does not have an account, an affidavit said.
He said that his bank account statement showed at approximately 1:29 am on March 13 “Laverna Gilbert made an automated debit out of the account for $181.29 to Oklahoma Natural Gas,” the affidavit alleged.
He said that “the only thing he could think of was Gilbert got his bank account number when she was cleaning his residence,” the affidavit alleged.
The Golden Oaks Village administrator had told Gilbert to stay at work until police arrived to speak to her, the affidavit said.
The officer alleged in his affidavit, “I asked Gilbert if she cleans (the man’s) residence, and she told me that she does. I asked her if she had seen (his) bank account number when she cleans his residence, and she told me she does not pay attention to that kind of stuff; she just cleans.
“Gilbert stated she owed over $500 on her Oklahoma Natural Gas bill as of this month, and she had contacted the gas company to see if she could make a late payment because she did not have the money yet. I asked Gilbert if I could see the bill history on the phone, and she handed me her phone.
“The bill showed she made a payment on March 12, 2024, for $181.29 and had a zero-balance remaining. I asked Gilbert if she owed over $500 on the bill why it has a zero balance. She stated her mother must have made some payments. The billing history showed that regular monthly payments for the past several months had been made on her gas bill for under $200 that appeared to be regular billing usage.”
“Gilbert stated she always pays her bills using her Pay Pal account. I asked her if (his) bank account number was on one of her Pay Pal accounts, and she stated it was not and showed me her phone. I informed Gilbert if she figures out why her name was on (his) account paying her gas bill, then to let me know,” the officer wrote in his affidavit for Gilbert’s arrest.
According to court records, Gilbert, who has also been known by the surname of Scarbarough was convicted of embezzlement in Grady County in 2008 and placed on probation for 10 years.
