2 Arrested In Wagoner County For Elder Abuse

In just the past few hours a daughter and her husband bonded out of the Wagoner County Jail. They're accused of leaving her 73-year-old mother penniless and homeless.

Wagoner County Deputies say the woman lived in a house for about a month, with very little food, sleeping in a chair in her living room. Investigators say she didn't have her own bed. Neighbors in this area say that learning the details of this case has been shocking.

Sheri Stallings and her husband Hezekiah bonded out of Wagoner County Jail on Friday on complaints of Elder Abuse and Exploitation of the elderly. Deputies say the two took advantage of Sheri's 73-year-old mother, Henrietta Swarthout, draining her assets then leaving her to live in this house with very little food.

"It is bad enough right now that we have people that prey on the elderly trying to scam them out of money. That is something we deal with on a monthly basis and I am outraged that it is her own daughter," said Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliot.

Investigators say the Stallings were caretakers for Swarthout. They say the two moved here from Tulsa to Wagoner then dipped into her finances buying groceries and paying bills. Deputies say the couple also gave some of the money to friends and even bought property in the county.

"During this process, this adult daughter obtained power of attorney over Henrietta," said Elliot, “What we found is 2 years ago she had around $283,000 in assets including her house which her daughter also sold in Tulsa County and she has nothing now."

Nothing but social security money says Elliot, who says other family members are now aware of what's going on. Swarthout is being cared for in a state facility.

"Most people when they get that age they need a support system and her support system was her 49-year-old daughter that robbed her of everything," said Elliot.