A Northeast woman identified by authorities as a secretary employed by Philadelphia City Council was arrested July 17 for allegedly stealing money from an elderly woman who had been placed in her care.
Nancy Gonzalez, 51, is charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, multiple counts of theft, tampering with records, unsworn falsification, access device fraud and reckless endangerment. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 10 and is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.
The district attorney’s office provided few details of the case. But according to a report published by the Daily News, Gonzalez, a Torresdale resident, stole nearly $25,000 in Social Security checks from an 88-year-old woman who was living in a run-down, dirty Kensington house with no heat, running water, stove or refrigerator.
Gonzalez, who worked for Council as a whole and not any individual Council member, was the victim’s designated Social Security representative payee. Gonzalez was to receive the victim’s benefit checks and use the income to pay the victim’s bills and to care for her.
Gonzalez was once married to the victim’s nephew and became the older woman’s payee in 2005, the newspaper reported. ••
