ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – A St. Clair Shores man was arraigned on Thursday on charges that he took advantage of an elderly woman and used her as his own “personal ATM.”
Eric John Williams, 60, was arraigned today at the 41-B District Court in Clinton Township.
The Macomb County prosecutor announced the charges against Williams, who is accused of running a scheme on a 78-year-old woman that start started back in January.
According to prosecutors, on Jan. 9, Williams, who is a repeat offender with five prior convictions for scamming elderly victims, was apparently going door-to-door and approached the woman at her Clinton Township home.
He convinced her that it needed a complete interior repainting and a new concrete patio.
As it turns out, the home was, and he did none of the work anyway.
Williams subsequently took her to the bank on multiple occasions.
The woman, who police say was in cognitive decline, withdrew more than $30,000 and gave it to Williams.
The scam unraveled on April 15, when employees at a Chase bank branch noticed some suspicious activity.
The woman went into the branch and was accompanied by a man she identified as her “nephew,” whom police say was Williams.
Due to the woman’s cognitive state and all of the large withdrawals, Chase contacted the Clinton Township Police, who eventually arrested Williams.
Williams was charged with one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult and two counts of operating under false pretenses.
All three charges are felonies.
Williams, whose rap sheet dates back to 1997, was also charged as a habitual offender, an aggravating sentencing factor that could result in a penalty of life in prison if he’s convicted of the underlying felonies.
Clinton Township Police fear there could be more victims and are asking the public to contact their Criminal Investigations Division at 586-493-7839 if you believe that you or someone you know has been a victim of Williams.
Despite his long criminal history, Williams was released on a $100,000 bond on the condition that he is placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring.
Williams is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing in 41-B District Court on Tuesday, May 19.