PHILADELPHIA, PA — Aldan, Pennsylvania resident Gloria Byars, 62, and Hampton, Virginia resident Carlton Rembert, 69, were found guilty on Thursday, November 16, 2023, for their roles in a scheme to defraud elderly, incapacitated individuals of over $1 million. Byars pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud just before her trial. After a four-day trial, Rembert, Byars’ brother, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy, bank fraud, and wire fraud.
From 2012 to 2018, Byars and her co-conspirators, including Rembert and Alesha Mitchell, stole life savings from dozens of incapacitated wards while Byars served as their court-appointed guardian. Byars, who had previously worked as an office manager for a guardianship company in Delaware County before starting her own, had unrestricted access to the wards’ properties, which included bank accounts, pensions, real estate, retirement accounts, and other assets.
Byars wrote unauthorized checks from the wards’ bank accounts to companies she controlled or to shell companies controlled by her co-conspirators. Rembert and Mitchell furthered the theft by opening bank accounts in Virginia under the names of fake medical services companies. They deposited checks containing stolen ward money into these accounts, withdrew over $500,000 in cash, and sent most of the stolen proceeds back to Byars, keeping a share for themselves. Byars used the stolen money for personal expenses like vacations, clothing, vehicles, gifts, and parties.
As part of her plea agreement, Byars agreed to forfeit 36 gold Krugerrand coins that she had stolen from one of her wards’ bank safe deposit boxes. She also stole over $756,000 from a retired federal employee’s Thrift Savings Plan. In total, Byars and her co-conspirators stole well over $1 million from at least 120 incapacitated individuals in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Byars and Rembert face maximum sentences of up to 30 years imprisonment and fines of up to $1M for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Byars faces 20 years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine for money laundering and 3 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for filing a false tax return.
“Byars and Rembert’s actions caused significant financial and emotional harm to their victims,” said United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Fraud, particularly at the expense of vulnerable people, will not be tolerated.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Criminal Investigation Division, and the IRS, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tiwana Wright and Samuel Dalke are prosecuting the case.
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