Beverly Ochoa, a 30-year-old resident of Derwood, Maryland, received a 12-month suspended sentence for first-degree theft. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Ochoa was found guilty of stealing $2,600 from the wife of a hospice patient.
Ochoa admitted to her crime on February 28 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Robert Salerno sentenced her to one year of supervised probation, which includes 40 hours of community service, and suspended three years of supervised release.
The incident occurred on October 1 when police were called to an elderly couple's home in Southeast Washington. The husband was receiving hospice care at home with assistance from two health aide caregivers from different companies. During the visit, Ochoa stayed in the home with the patient while his wife went out for a medical appointment after placing $2,600 in cash inside a drawer for another caregiver.
Upon returning home, the patient’s wife discovered that the money was missing. The family reviewed security camera footage showing Ochoa taking something from the kitchen and putting it into her purse. When law enforcement arrived, they found $2,600 in $100 bills inside Ochoa's purse, leading to her arrest.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith praised those involved in investigating and prosecuting this case from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Special recognition was given to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nickolas Reck and Katherine Ballou for their work on this case.
