An American woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraudulently taking possession of property by failing to report the owner's death and leaving it to rot.
“This defendant’s misconduct was greedy and heinous, causing profound pain to the victims and their loved ones. There must be severe consequences for those who exploit vulnerable communities, like seniors, and my office remains committed to bringing these perpetrators to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. Justice”.
Caroline Joan Herling, 44, and her accomplices allegedly targeted their potential victims, vulnerable people, by scouring derelict properties in affluent neighbourhoods. Using mapping software, the woman would visit affluent neighborhoods and identify homes where pools and backyards appeared unmaintainable.
That's how the woman found and broke into the victim's home in 2020. For a reason still unknown to investigators, the victim died in September 2020. However, instead of reporting the discovery of the body, Herling allegedly ransacked his home and bank. The US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said in a press release:
Finally, in October 2021, police opened an investigation, when neighbors reported the victim missing. At this point, Herling and his accomplices disposed of the body by dismembering it and dumping it in San Francisco Bay, where it was never found.
In addition to her prison sentence, Carolyn Joan Herling must pay approximately $3.9 million in restitution to the victims.
