A criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court charging Heidi Suzanne Miller with credit card fraud in an alleged scheme to abuse her role as a home healthcare aide to use the credit cards and take over the financial accounts of an elderly couple in her care. According to the criminal complaint, in 2016, the son of an elderly Moraga, California couple hired Miller to care for his parents because they were suffering from early onset dementia. Within three days of beginning her employment, Miller allegedly began using the couple’s credit cards for her personal benefit. The complaint describes how Miller used checks and credit cards during the next three years to steal over $360,000 from the couple. Miller used the money to pay her living expenses and to maintain her lifestyle by, among other things, buying cars, clothing, and jewelry; taking a cruise and a trip to Disneyland; and caring for her family pets, including purchasing a “14-day dream dog package.” The elderly couple’s son discovered the fraud in 2019 after Miller’s employment ended. Also included in the list of alleged improper purchases was breast augmentation and liposuction. According to the criminal complaint, Miller obtained the plastic surgery and related procedures in January 2018 and paid for them using three credit cards issued to the elderly couple. Miller allegedly paid over $15,000 toward the approximately $26,000 cost of the plastic surgery procedures using the couple’s credit cards. The elderly couple’s son discovered the fraud after Miller’s employment ended.
