Three people were charged last month with defrauding older Philadelphians in a pair of cases stemming from a relatively new task force aimed at protecting seniors, the District Attorney’s Office said Monday.
Josh Leyland, 26, presented himself as a contractor, telling a 77-year-old homeowner to pay $140,000 up-front in cashier’s checks for an extensive set of repairs, according to the DA’s Office. He allegedly pocketed the money and fled to the United Kingdom without doing significant work on the victim’s property.
The incident occurred in 2019, and Assistant District Attorney Alexander Blumenthal said local authorities collaborated with the FBI and British prosecutors to have Leyland extradited back to the United States.
“This is an example of the efforts that we will go to to rectify a harm that has been done to an elderly person,” said Blumenthal, head of the DA’s Elder Justice Unit.
Leyland is charged with theft, deceptive business practices, conspiracy and related offenses, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The Defender’s Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Leyland, declined to comment on the case.
Michael C. Williams, 55, and Summer Rifenburg, 44, were arrested June 29 for allegedly conspiring to steal the home of an elderly man with dementia, the DA’s Office said.
Blumenthal said Williams posed as a family member and caregiver, eventually moving into the house and attempting to transfer the property’s title. Neighbors and relatives intervened in the situation, he added.
Williams is charged with a host of crimes, including burglary, theft, conspiracy and forgery. Rifenberg, described by prosecutors as his lover, is also facing numerous charges. Attorneys for the pair did not return requests for comment.
The DA’s office leads a coalition, known as the Philadelphia Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team, that helps to handle such cases, along with other forms of fraud and physical abuse targeting seniors.
“Elder abuse is increasing at a rapid and alarming rate across the country, and particularly in the commonwealth,” Sarina Issenberg, the team’s coordinator, said at a news conference Monday.
Issenberg was hired thanks to a $375,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2021 to fund the initiative. Partner organizations include the Penn Memory Center, the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, the SeniorLAW Center and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.
First Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Temin said elderly victims often need more than just a prosecutor, especially when their caregiver is responsible for the abuse or fraud.
“Elderly victims have special problems that younger people don’t have,” she said. “As we age, we sometimes become dependent on other people to help us get through our day.”
The collaboration allows the DA’s Office to refer victims to the partner groups, who can connect them with additional services.
Anyone who suspects financial exploitation of a senior can call the team’s hotline at 215-686-5710.
