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Woman who stole from elderly victims facing prison, restitution of more than $330K

By Howard B. Owens

A 40-year-old Batavia woman who bilked two elderly patients out of more than $308,000 faces up to seven years in prison and significant restitution after pleading guilty this morning to four felonies.

Heidi L. Schollard, 161 Bank St., Batavia, entered a guilty plea to three counts of grand larceny, 3rd. Each Class D felony carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, but under the plea deal, Schollard's sentences will be served concurrently.

She also entered a guilty plea to grand larceny, 4th, a Class E felony with a maximum sentence of four years.

Schollard is ordered to repay $265,131 to one elderly victim and $43,000 to another, plus $23,414 to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance and $2,485 to the Department of Labor.

Schollard was initially arrested in December 2010 for allegedly stealing about $250,000 from a Batavia resident.

She was out of jail during the proceedings in that case and was arrested again in March and accused of defrauding another elderly person. The alleged victim in this case is a resident of Alabama.

In both cases, Schollard was reportedly a caregiver for the victims.

Sentencing is set for 9 a.m., Aug. 9.

Doug Yeomans

Lol Lori..made me laugh too.

Victimizing the elderly is so sleazy. Send her off to prison for a long time. People work their entire life, making that sacrifice every day, and they plan on being comfortable in retirement....then someone with no conscience comes along and takes it all away from them in an eye blink...PATHETIC! She'll never be able to pay restitution and those people are forever victims. I hope she has nightmares while she's sitting in prison eating her 10th cup of Ramen noodles for the day.

May 18, 2012, 7:48pm Permalink
Paul Witkowski

Hey Doug!! With Judge Noonan.....she will get off with a possible probation.....and thats unforfunate....your comments are right on!!!!!

May 18, 2012, 8:09pm Permalink
Mark Potwora

Doug i agree....She will never pay $308,000 back....Justice is not fair...She needs to serve more time than this.. Sentences in her crime should be run separately.......

May 19, 2012, 10:36am Permalink
Mary E DelPlato

stealing is tempting to ppl who dont have much. was daddy payin child support? Tell me none of you have thought of it when you was down and out. But she did commit the crime and she does have to pay for it. Sad story.

May 19, 2012, 5:15pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Mary, stealing is tempting to people who don't have much? That's a ridiculous statement. There's no excuse for what she did and if she didn't have much, she should've learned how to do something and worked for the things she wanted, just like the people she stole from.

May 20, 2012, 12:20am Permalink
Mark Brudz

Mary, there is absolutely no excuse to steal, especially from someone who is depending on you for living assistance. It is that simple.

Hiedi baby sat two of my children in the mid 90's at the time she was a very hard working young lady, her husband managed a tire outlet here in town and she had two beautiful daughters. One of things that I liked about her was that she appeared to be dead honest.

I feel personally dissapointed by her actions. When I think now, if my parents had asked for my recommedation for a home aide, I probably would have recommeded her. That is why this is so disgusting, I know that there were others that felt the same way about her at the time.

Her actions were beyond just stealing, she stole what probably amounted to the life savings of these people. I hope that everyday she spends in jail that she is haunted the fact that she betrayed the trust not only of those she worked for, but those that over the years recommeded her based on the belief that she had personal integrity.

Shame on her.

May 20, 2012, 10:29am Permalink

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