A woman from Anamosa, Iowa was charged with felony theft after she allegedly cashed checks and took money belonging to her dead mother.
Esther Mae Rexroat died in October 2011.
Police say Ms. Rexroat’s daughter, 54-year-old Susan Hopfensperger, failed to report the death to Rexroat’s life insurance carrier, so they continued to issue monthly annuity checks to Rexroat.
Hopfensperger is accused of accepting and cashing those checks, and of using her power of attorney over her mother’s estate to take money, which was supposed to be divided among surviving family members, out of her mother’s account.
In all, Hopfensperger was accused of taking nearly $45,000 from the account.
Hopfensperger was formally charged Wednesday, January 15, 2014 with one count of felony first-degree theft.
Court records show Hopfensperger was released from the Jones County Jail after posting $10,000 cash bond. She was next scheduled to appear in court in connection with the case on January 29.
