FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2019
Theft/Exploitation of Elderly Offense Brings Life Sentence
The Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office asked for and received the maximum sentence in a theft/exploitation of elderly case involving a defendant with prior federal convictions on two counts of bank fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and one count of tampering with a witness.
Angelika (Angie) Navarro, 64, was convicted of two counts of theft and one count of exploitation of elderly by a Bexar County jury. Navarro was found guilty of stealing $134,000 from Pat and Sharon Reese. Navarro befriended Sharon Reese, who had been recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and took advantage of that friendship to convince her and her husband, Pat, to invest in several fraudulent scams in which the money actually went to Navarro. Sharon Reese subsequently died of cancer.
The jury took approximately an hour to render the guilty verdict and approximately another hour to determine the punishment. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Dawn McCraw and Brandon Jackson with assistance from victims’ advocate Angela Treviño.
“Our senior citizens have earned respect,” said Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales, “and our office will go after anyone who disrespects our elderly and attempts to swindle them out of their hard-earned retirement or savings.”
Through Junella Reese, the Reese family also released the following statement:
“Angie Navarro took more from us than money, she used the most emotional time of our lives and turned it into a fraudulent scheme. With this, not only did she take money that placed a huge debt on Pat, she took away precious time from Sharon, which should have been used to focus on her own health and family.
We would not have received justice without ADA Dawn McCraw, ADA Brandon Jackson, victims’ advocate Angela Trevino, Detective David Brinkman of the SAPD, and many more attorneys and staff of the DA’s office who worked tirelessly to bring this case to trial and seek justice not only for our own family, but for the prior victims who now know she is paying for her crimes. The dedication shown by everyone, and the care they took to ensure justice was served, has brought closure to the terrible ordeal that Angie Navarro inflicted upon our family. Sharon’s soul can now be at peace, and Pat can rest knowing Sharon has been vindicated."
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