Tucson woman convicted of defrauding couple out of over $80K
Cynthia Renae Ortiz
TUCSON, Ariz. - A Tucson woman has been convicted of defrauding an Arizona couple out of more than $80,000.
State prosecutors say a Tucson jury found Cynthia Renae Ortiz guilty of two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, 11 counts of taking the identity of another, five counts of forgery and one count each of theft, aggravated taking the identity of another and theft from a vulnerable adult.
Ortiz faces up to a 30-year prison term when she’s sentenced March 12 in Pima County Superior Court.
In 2014, a Tucson woman needed respite care for her husband who was being treated for lung cancer, dementia, and renal failure.
The couple hired Ortiz, who promoted herself as a caregiver.
Within 60 days, the man died and his wife suffered a disabling injury that left her near death.
Ortiz offered to assist with estate paperwork.
Prosecutors say Ortiz stole one of the man's credit cards to make multiple fraudulent purchases and his identity to rent a home and open a different credit card.
Ortiz also stole the wife's identity to open another credit card where she charged over $42,000 and then used the wife's money to pay it off.
Prosecutors say Ortiz also stole death benefit checks payable to the wife and liquidated stocks that had belonged to the husband before he died.