Caregiver charged with forging $3,500 in checks from elderly woman

A St. Rose woman was arrested for allegedly stealing checks from an elderly woman and cashing them.

Leslie R. Zeringue, 40, was arrested on July 3 and charged with felony theft of assets of an aged or disabled person.

Zeringue was providing caregiver services through a home health agency to the 87-year-old when she gained access to the woman’s checkbook and eventually forged $3,453.26 worth of checks to herself.

Capt. Pat Yoes, public information officer with the Sheriff’s Office, said the victim’s family alerted authorities once they realized money was missing from the woman’s account along with the checks.

"They discovered multiple checks were written and cashed by Zeringue," Yoes said.

Yoes said Zeringue admitted to stealing the checks and cashing them at the bank.

Zeringue faces up to ten years in jail and a $3,000 fine for the crime.