RELEASE: Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner Announces the Arrest of Court Appointed Guardian for Stealing from the Elderly

PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Ben Waxman, 215–686–8711, benjamin.waxman@phila.gov

PHILADELPHIA (April 30, 2019) — Today, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the arrest of Gloria Frances Byars for stealing from three separate estates in her official capacity as a court appointed guardian for the elderly. Byars is charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking (4 counts — F3), Theft by Deception (4 counts — F3), Receiving Stolen Property (4 counts — F3), and Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds Received (4 counts — F3).

“Gloria Frances Byars’ actions are despicable and what she did to these three elderly families as their court appointed guardian is deplorable,” said Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney. “I would like to thank the good work of my office’s Economic Crimes Unit, the County Detectives supporting them, and want to make it clear to everyone that their investigation into this defendant is far from over.”

The investigation into Byars started when the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas notified the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO) about calls, centering on questionable expenditures, they were receiving from several clients Byars was assisting. The following is a summary of the office’s investigation:

• Estate #1 — The Economic Crimes Unit began looking into the paperwork, financial records, and inventory related to Estate #1. The investigation found that Byars listed her place of business as “Global Guardian Services LLC” in Clifton Heights.

The estate was valued at about $570,000 and owned by a husband and wife couple living in an assisted living facility. The husband had dementia, the wife was diagnosed with cancer, and both were elderly. Their home, which was not a hoarder house, was in both of their names and was free and clear of all liens and encumbrances. According to family, their home was kept in immaculate condition. They owned a grandfather clock, a large collection of German steins, and expensive jewelry and heirlooms. All of these mysteriously disappeared after Byars was appointed guardian. The investigation also found multiple instances of Byars routing funds from the estate into accounts linked to the Byars. For example:

• An invoice for cleaning and disposing “…of entire contents of Hoarder House requires a (10) man team, (3) days, (3) 50 yard dumpsters, (621) trash bags and remove broken appliances, total cleanout cost $11,000;”
• $10,250 in checks, endorsed by Byers, made out to Asia Jones who was supposedly a home health care worker. After being contacted, Asia Jones said that she was not employed as a home health care worker and did not sign the checks; and
• $4,600 for a roof repair for Estate #1, no such roof work was needed or made.

During this time Byars and her husband planned a second fantasy wedding, to the tune of $39,000, to renew their vows.

• Estate #2 — This estate was owned by an incapacitated person, with a son in a nursing home, valued at $539,000 and comprised of two properties in Philadelphia, two properties in New Jersey, and bank accounts and investments totaling $236,000. After Byars was replaced as guardian, the new guardian found a court petition to sell one property for $158,000; two requests to spend $78,000, which included an $8,400 payment to Byars’ husband’s cleanout business; and a petition to sell a second property for $168,000. Byars documented the total proceeds from the sale of both properties as $151,000. When the court issued a decree ordering Byars to file an inventory account, the court found, minus approved expenses, she did not account for over $104,000 in missing funds and losses to the estate.
• Estate #3 — Investigators interviewed the niece of the estate owner who has passed away. The estate included real estate, bank account savings, and bonds totaling more than $278,000. Before her death, the estate owner was a 78-year-old, non-verbal, blind woman suffering from Alzheimer’s and requiring a feeding tube most of the time. She was also living in an assisted living facility with 24-hour care. But Byars billed the estate over $30,000 payable to a company that does not appear to exist. These payments were then deposited into an account linked to the Byars. Additionally, after reviewing the contents of a safe deposit box, the investigation found twenty six missing gold Krugerrand coins valued at approximately $32,000, with Byars as the only one with access to the coins.

Gloria Frances Byars was arrested at her home in Delaware County on April 25, 2019. Her next status hearing will be on May 3, 2019 in courtroom 406 of the Criminal Justice Center.

###

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of over 40,000 criminal cases annually.