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From
The Oregonian:
Margie Cleo Tisdale (pictured) was supposed to help the disabled adults manage their money as part of her job at the nonprofit United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Instead, she quietly skimmed $5,000 from their bank accounts -- $20 here, $200 there -- a prosecutor said, spending the money on manicures, lattes and her rent.
Last week, Multnomah County Judge Youlee You sentenced the 47-year-old Northeast Portland woman to one year in jail after listening to the heart-wrenching testimony of some of Tisdale's five victims, many of whom had little money to spare in the first place.
One woman said when she needed money to grocery shop, Tisdale -- who had access to the woman's bank account and would allot her money as needed -- refused to give her any. Instead, the woman said Tisdale told her to eat any remaining canned food in her kitchen -- even though some of it had expired or gone bad.
"Marge would not let me have any food money," the woman sternly told the judge, with a frown.
A man fought back tears and stutters to tell the judge that he wanted Tisdale to serve jail or prison time.
"I want to see things taken away from her like she done to us," he said.
Officer Barbara Glass, an identity theft investigator with Portland police, said after the hearing that she was "repulsed" that Tisdale targeted such vulnerable victims. Two used wheelchairs and one uses a walker. One man has since died. Some of Tisdale's victims feared that her thievery might threaten their ability to live independently.
Yet Tisdale pretended that all was fine as she repeatedly stole from them from April 2008 to July 2008, Glass said.
"She looked everybody in the eye while she was busy pilfering their bank accounts," Glass said.
The nonprofit organization, just off Marine Drive in Northeast Portland, gave Tisdale's victims money to replace what Tisdale had stolen.
Tisdale was charged with more than 100 counts, but in February she pleaded guilty to a total of 11 counts of criminal mistreatment and identity theft. Tisdale's attorney, Kami White, asked the judge to give her client two months in jail. Kevin Demer, the prosecutor, argued for 15 months of prison.
"It wasn't just a one-time, one-day mistake she made," Demer said. "It was over a period of time. ... She planned this."
Demer said Tisdale created a record with United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon that indicated her victims weren't good with managing their money, so it would appear that it was their fault when cash couldn't be accounted for.
Tisdale also got clients to regularly buy her coffees and lunches. That's a blatant violation of the nonprofit's policy, Demer said.
White, however, said that her client "is not the same person she was a year ago." White said that at the time of the thefts, Tisdale was off her medications. She has been diagnosed with depression, post traumatic stress disorder and mild mental retardation.
Tisdale, who according to court-records has at least a high-school education, also was physically abused earlier in her life and continues to suffer pain in her back even though she's had five surgeries.
Tisdale broke into sobs as she told the two victims in the courtroom that she was sorry.
"I love you guys," she said. "You guys have a good life. OK?"
The judge said she's worried that Tisdale hasn't fully taken responsibility for her actions
Two months in jail didn't seem like enough, the judge said. But 15 months seemed like too much, considering Tisdale's mental problems, including depression that prompted the judge last fall to civilly commit Tisdale out of fear she might harm herself.
The judge also sentenced Tisdale to five years of probation and ordered her to pay United Cerebral Palsy back $4,000.
From The Oregonian:
