BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A former worker at an Essex Junction memory care facility who was caught stealing from patients will face no prison time.
The Attorney General’s Office says Lilac Rain Brown-Fisher, 29, an activity director at the Maple Ridge Memory Care facility, was sentenced Monday after taking a plea agreement, admitting to swiping valuable heirloom jewelry from patients and then pawning it.
She was caught last February after family members of one patient noticed missing jewelry and that ended up at Vermont Coin and Jewelry. Police then used surveilance video to trace the theft to Brown-Fisher.
At her sentencing Monday on felony charges of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. the AG’s office says four families told the court how the thefts had impacted them. “My mother’s ring is gone and there’s no getting it back. My heart is sick that I can’t pass it down to her beloved granddaughter,” one victim told the court.
Superior Court Judge John Pacht sentenced Brown-Fisher to a prison sentence of up to five years, suspended for a term of probation of up to five years. She must also pay restitution to the victims, may not care for vulnerable adults, and must complete a restorative justice program.