‘Democrat Of The Year’ Convicted Of Stealing Money From Disabled Woman
The woman who was recently dubbed Democrat of the Year by a Colorado politician has been convicted of stealing money from a lady with cerebral palsy, CBS News reports.
Estelle Carson, 66, was convicted on Thursday of felony identify theft and felony theft from an at risk adult for swiping a 71-year-old woman’s disability checks. While Carson has yet to be sentenced for her crimes, she could face up to nine years in prison for her thievery.
The victim, who lives on a fixed income of $596 dollars per month, is developmentally disabled, partially blind, and confined to a wheelchair. Carson reportedly stole the woman’s money in order to pay for internet, cable, and cell phone bills. An advocate for the victim explained that the thief got precisely what she deserved.
According to the Denver Post, advocate Cindy Maxwell warned party leaders that the woman who was about to receive the Democrat of the Year award may not be the upstanding citizen she portrayed herself to be. However, officials explained to Maxwell that, unless Carson was convicted of the charges against her, there was nothing they could do about it.
“I said, ‘When she is convicted, which she will be, how do you plan on taking that award from her?’ Of course, there was no answer,” Maxwell explained. “I was appalled, and I’m a Democrat.”
Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, stated that the award in question is bestowed upon individuals who go “above and beyond expectations by constantly offering to help.” He also explained that nobody discussed Carson’s potentially thievery until shortly before the awards ceremony.
“After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award to Estelle,” Kennedy wrote in an email.
Now that the Democrat of the Year has been convicted of stealing from a disabled woman, do you think she should be stripped of her award?
