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Woman accused of bilking stroke victim may have fled U.S.

Montgomery County officials have asked the help of international authorities in locating a Lansdale woman accused of leaving the United States after bilking a stroke victim out of his property and savings.

Montgomery County officials have asked the help of international authorities in locating a Lansdale woman accused of leaving the United States after bilking a stroke victim out of his property and savings.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said Tuesday that Janet M. Gitney, 57, of the 700 block of Brian Way, was wanted by police in connection with theft, forgery, and other charges.

Officials say they believe she fled to the Philippines.

"It is only a matter of when we find her," Ferman said.

Gitney is accused by Hatfield Township police of misusing her position as trustee for a former Hatfield man, Eugene Waldspurger, 57.

Partially paralyzed, Waldspurger entrusted Gitney with managing his health and finances starting in 2007, when she moved him into her Lansdale home.

After Waldspurger's hospitalization in June, Gitney took possession of his Hatfield house for $40,000, then admitted him to a nursing home as a pauper.

"She turned around and stole everything from him, and used it for her own benefit," Ferman said.

The matter came to light when a cousin of Waldspurger's contacted the District Attorney's Office regarding what the cousin said was the theft of the home at 458 S. Main St., Hatfield.

Detective Sgt. John A. Ciarlello checked and found that Gitney had used Waldspurger's retirement savings to fix up and pay off the home before transferring the property to herself. The home is valued at $222,334, according to the criminal complaint.

In all, $20,000 from one account and $101,637 from another were withdrawn by Gitney from Waldspurger's bank on July 29, the criminal complaint alleged. The balance was zero.

Ferman said Gitney was taking care of Waldspurger after it came to light he was duped by his two previous caregivers four years ago.

Heather Hall, then 35, and 42-year-old John Pallante were convicted of stealing $58,000 from his bank accounts. The pair used the money to buy a $12,000 camper and put down a $5,000 deposit on a commercial building in Ringtown, Schuylkill County.

Pallante was sentenced to serve 10 to 18 months in the Montgomery County prison; Hall was sentenced to serve four to 23 months.