A 60-year-old caregiver is accused of siphoning more than $200,000 out of an elderly Coral Springs client's bank accounts over the course of four years, using hundreds of cash withdrawals that investigators say only she could have made. Maureen Wade now faces charges of grand theft, criminal use of personal identification, and exploitation of an elderly person, according to authorities.
Police say Wade was arrested after authorities accused her of stealing more than $200,000 from an elderly client in Coral Springs, according to CBS News. Court records cited by the outlet show 354 cash withdrawals totaling $217,343.89 were made between 2022 and 2026. News outlets have offered differing accounts of when exactly Wade was taken into custody: CBS reported she was arrested Thursday, while Coral Springs Talk reported her arrest occurred on November 4, 2026.
Wade faces charges of grand theft of $100,000 or more, criminal use of personal identification without consent for $50,000 or more, and exploitation of an elderly person involving $100,000 or more, per CBS News. Under Florida Senate statute, exploitation of an elderly or disabled person is defined as knowingly obtaining or using — or attempting to obtain or use — a person's funds, assets, or property with intent to deprive them of its use, benefit, or possession, or to benefit someone else.
How the Alleged Scheme Came to Light
The case reportedly surfaced after the elderly client's niece and her husband began reviewing her finances in March, after she told them she was running out of money. According to Coral Springs Talk, the review uncovered suspicious activity and prompted the police investigation. Investigators obtained financial records documenting the 354 cash withdrawals.
Investigators determined that Wade was the only person with access to the victim's accounts, the station's report states. Authorities also said 41 Bank of America surveillance videos captured deposits and withdrawals made by a woman matching Wade's description, who was driving a vehicle matching hers — evidence investigators have pointed to as central to building the case against her.
Family Pushes Back on the Accusations
Wade's son disputed the allegations, telling CBS News his mother earned $400 a week caring for the victim as a favor — a wage he suggested undercuts any motive for the scale of theft alleged by investigators. He went further, insisting that “it's a lie, and someone is setting my mother up.”
The case echoes a separate exploitation arrest in nearby Sunrise, where 47-year-old Karla Granda Pozada was accused of using her 99-year-old client's debit card without permission, according to NBC 6 South Florida. Officials in that case said she bought an iPhone 17, jewelry, and made car insurance payments totaling nearly $4,000 — a far smaller sum than what investigators allege Wade took, but part of a broader pattern of caregiver exploitation cases surfacing across Broward County.
What's clear for now is a dispute between investigators who say the financial trail points squarely at Wade and a family that says she's innocent.
