Palm Beach County Caretaker Accused of Pawning $62K Worth of Elderly Client’s Jewelry

A Palm Beach County caretaker has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly stealing and pawning over $62,000 worth of jewellery from her elderly client’s safe.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), 34-year-old Merlande Marseille is accused of taking several unique pieces of jewellery from her client’s home in unincorporated Boynton Beach while the client was away on a trip to New York. The client reported the jewellery missing upon her return, stating that she had not seen the items in two weeks and estimated their value at approximately $62,500.

Investigators discovered that Marseille had conducted 15 pawn transactions between March 29 and April 25 at various pawn shops in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach. Photographs of the pawned jewellery were positively identified by the victim. Marseille denied the allegations, claiming that her daughter used her identification to pawn the items while she was in the Bahamas.

Based on the evidence, Marseille has been charged with 15 counts of providing false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker, 15 counts of dealing in stolen property, and one count of grand theft.

This case underscores the importance of thoroughly vetting caregivers and regularly monitoring valuable possessions, especially when entrusting someone with access to your home.