Mother ‘stole $1.6MILLION from a trust for her special needs daughter’ and spent it on luxury Mexican holidays, high-end cars, lingerie from Victoria’s Secret and a breast enlargement
- Apryll Sardinha was charged with theft and theft from an at-risk person after she was detained in October by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department
- Her daughter was struck by a car in 2005 that left her unable to communicate and with the mental functionality of a toddler
- The girl – now 20 – received a $1.6million settlement in 2010, with her mother named as executor of the trust
- Investigators found that Sardinha spent the money on a plethora of items, even overdrafting $60 from the account
Apryll Sardinha was charged with theft and theft from an at-risk person after she was detained in October by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department
A Colorado mother allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for her special needs daughter, using the funds on everything from expensive cars to thousands in liquor.
Apryll Sardinha was charged with theft and theft from an at-risk person after she was detained in October by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, KKTV reports.
Her daughter, at the time six-years-old, was struck by a car in 2005 that left her unable to communicate and with the mental functionality of a toddler.
The girl – now 20 – received a $1.6million settlement in 2010, with her mother named as executor of the trust.
Sardinha was the only person with access to the money, which was entirely designated for her daughter.
Investigators with the El Paso County Department of Adult Protective Services learned of the stolen finances after they began looking into the mother when she was charged with misdemeanor neglect in 2017.
In that particular incident, Sardinha allegedly left her daughter alone in home with out heat so that she could travel out of the state. It was only when a family member discovered that the bill was unpaid that the young woman was discovered.
The woman’s daughter was struck by a car in 2005 that left her unable to communicate and with the mental functionality of a toddler
Authorities learned that Sardinha had not only taken the entire bulk of her daughter’s money, she also overdrew the account by $60
Authorities learned that Sardinha had not only taken the entire bulk of her daughter’s money, she also overdrew the account by $60.
According to her arrest affidavit, Sardinha was found to have spent the money on a plethora of items that included: $99,000 at a Land Rover dealership, $19,200 at a Mercedes dealership, $18,400 at a Cabo San Lucas resort, $5,000 at a liquor store, $1,200 at Victoria Secret, $940 at Pikes Peak Harley, and $360 at Center for Plastic Surgery.
Sardinha also reportedly got a breast enhancement.
Investigators also learned that the mother used to trust to pay nearly $14,000 in DirectTV bills and more than $20,000 for Mountain View Electric.
Sardinha was removed as a trustee in 2018. She has since moved back to Massachusetts and is currently out on bond.