Norwich health care worker to serve three years for theft from grandmother
A Norwich home health worker was sentenced Tuesday in New London Superior Court to three years in prison for stealing $22,000 from her elderly grandmother to fuel a drug addiction.
Tasha Gaudreau, 24, had pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny. She will be on special parole for three years following her release from prison.
She was recently sentenced to 30 months in a similar case in Superior Court in Rockville, according to prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla.
Gaudrea was working for Allied Home Health Care when she was arrested by Norwich police in December 2015.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the grandmother called police in October 2015 after she noticed 115 unauthorized ATM withdrawals from her bank account, totaling $22,270, had been made between July and October.
She said she gave her ATM card to Gaudreau, who sometimes stayed at her home and cared for her, for small purchases when she was unable to leave the home.
Police obtained surveillance video of Gaudreau making withdrawals at the Care Plus Credit Union and Dime Savings Bank, both on Norwich Avenue, according to the affidavit.
Confronted by Patrolman Wayne S. Burroughs, Gaudreau admitted she began withdrawing money from the ATMs and keeping it for herself.
Public Defender Kevin C. Barrs said Gaudreau had been using cocaine and heroin, "a really bad combination," and that she is now clean and sober.
Judge Hillary B. Strackbein said the grandmother had received some of her money back from the bank, but that Gaudreau should pay the rest.
"At least have the moral compass to get a job and pay her back," the judge said.
"Absolutely," Gaudreau responded.
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