An American woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraudulently getting her hands on property by failing to report the owner’s death and leaving it to rot.
“This defendant’s misconduct was both greedy and grotesque, causing deep pain to the victims and their loved ones. There must be serious consequences for those who prey on vulnerable communities, like the elderly, and my office will remain committed to bringing these offenders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Caroline Joanne Herrling, 44, and her accomplices allegedly targeted their potential victims, vulnerable people, by looking for neglected properties in wealthy neighborhoods. Using mapping programs, the woman would visit affluent neighborhoods and identify homes where swimming pools and backyards appeared unmaintained.
This is how the woman found the victim’s home and broke into it in 2020. For a reason still unknown to investigators, the victim died in September 2020. However, instead of reporting the discovery of the body, Herrling instead allegedly looted his home and bank accounts by producing false documents, the Central District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
It was finally in October 2021 that the police opened an investigation, when neighbors reported the disappearance of the victim. It was at this point that Herrling and his accomplices disposed of the body by cutting it up and dumping it in San Francisco Bay, where it was never found.
In addition to her penitentiary sentence, Caroline Joanne Herrling would have to pay nearly US$3.9 million in compensation to the victims.
