Yellowhammer Times

A federal court in Birmingham has sentenced two women, a mother and daughter, for their roles in an elder fraud scheme that resulted in the theft of nearly $500,000 from an elderly victim. U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Mykia L. Henderson, 32, of Moody, to 87 months in prison and Cynthia H. Mixon, 50, of Fairfield, to 57 months.

Both Henderson and Mixon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to plea agreements, between December 2020 and February 2022, they served as in-home caretakers for the victim. During this time, they accessed the victim’s financial information and shared it with each other as well as others involved in the scheme.

The defendants set up fraudulent accounts using Square, Inc. and Stripe, Inc., then charged the victim’s credit cards through these accounts. The funds were deposited into their own bank accounts or distributed among conspirators. To conceal their actions from the victim, they included false descriptions on transactions. They also wrote unauthorized checks to themselves from the victim's bank accounts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mountain Brook Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan S. Rummage prosecuted.

U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona stated: “Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements’ efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults.”

Support is available for those aged 60 or older who have been victims of financial fraud through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline provides assistance seven days a week with services available in English, Spanish and other languages through experienced professionals who assess needs and help identify next steps for victims ([www.elderjustice.gov](https://www.elderjustice.gov)).