Tuscola County Woman Charged with Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult for Thefts from Grandmother

LANSING – Yesterday, Brittany Guilfoil, 29, of Deford, was arraigned in the 71B District Court in Tuscola County on one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult-$1,000 to $20,000, and one count of Uttering and Publishing, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Both charges are felonies.   

Guilfoil is alleged to have forged checks from her grandmother’s checking account, payable to herself and her husband, totaling over $1,000 in funds fraudulently taken from the account. The victim has been a resident at the Tuscola County Medical Care Community facility since 2018, and her finances were handled by her daughter, Guilfoil’s mother, until early 2023. This included monthly income from a pension and Social Security.  

Brittany Guilfoil’s brother was made conservator in early 2023 due to an illness afflicting their mother. At this point, apparently fraudulent checks were discovered, alleged to have been forged by Guilfoil.  

“Unfortunately, our defense of vulnerable adults and their finances must not be blind to fraud from family members," said Nessel. "My office will continue to pursue justice for vulnerable adults, and we will work to ensure their assets are not treated as fair-game to pilfer when they transition into long-term care settings." 

The defendant was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Van Auken on January 9th, in the 71B District Court in Tuscola County. The defendant received a $10,000 personal recognizance bond and is next due in court on January 17th, 2024, for a probable cause conference. 

The penalty for Embezzlement-From a Vulnerable Adult-$1,000.00 or more but less than $20,000.00, is 5 years’ incarceration and/or $10,000.00 or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater. The maximum penalty for Uttering and Publishing is 14 years’ incarceration. 

The Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) handled this case for the Department. The HCFD is the federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Michigan, and it receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,541,992 for the fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25% percent, totaling $1,847,326, is funded by the State of Michigan.