Ava, MO. – A woman was recently arrested on Saturday, June 15, 2024, following an investigation into theft. 63-year-old Beth Stafford of Ava was arrested and charged with financial exploitation of an elder/disabled person and stealing $25,000 or more.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on June 15, 2024, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call about an elderly victim being taken advantage of. The elderly victim told the police that she had received notifications from her bank saying she had spent large sums of money and had cashed in some other funds. The woman stated that she had been loaning Stafford money for attorneys. Stafford had told the victim that her social security got stolen and she had to get a lawyer and needed money to afford it. On June 17, 2024, the deputies received the victim’s ledger that showed that Stafford owed the victim a total of $422,900. The victim was also able to provide multiple notes and promises that Stafford made saying she would pay her back.
During an interview with Stafford, she denied receiving any money from the elderly victim. The sheriff provided a photograph of a receipt that Stafford indicated she received via text message. This photograph receipt that Stafford used to show she used the money on lawyers proved to be crucial evidence to the case. The receipt was altered and photographed by Stafford. Stafford’s cell phone was seized and sent to the Cybercrimes Task Force for digital analysis. Stafford stole well over $100,000 from the victim in this case.
She is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
