Westfield Woman Defrauds Elderly Woman Out of Over $500,000

In total, court documents said Shayna Williams took $672,086 from the victim and her friend.

An empty wallet or with very little money in the hands of an old man. — Source: Vukasin Stanojlovic / Getty

WESTFIELD, Ind. — A Westfield woman has pleaded guilty to defrauding an elderly person out of more than $500,000.

According to court documents, Shayna Williams, 51, was involved in a car accident with an elderly woman six years ago. Since then, Williams defrauded the victim and the victim’s friend of $672,086.

Williams falsely claimed that her daughter required surgery for severe back injuries suffered in the accident. She also said her daughter needed a walker and an in-home elevator.

Another false claim from Williams was that she and other family members were undergoing expensive medical treatments and had taken on substantial medical bills. On top of that, Williams sent text messages to the victim posing as an insurance agent who was negotiating medical bills with hospitals. The victim believed she would be reimbursed by the insurance company if she covered Williams’s expenses.

These lies led to the elderly victim taking out personal loans, getting a second mortgage on her home, and working as a food delivery driver to make more money. In total, the victim paid Williams more than $500,000.

Williams pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She will be sentenced at a later date.

FBI Indianapolis and the Carmel Police Department investigated this case.