Oakland County woman sentenced for embezzling $638K from grandmother

A Michigan woman has been sentenced to a year in jail and to pay over $630,000 in restitution over an embezzlement scheme against her grandmother. 

Cortney Tucker, 35, of White Lake, was sentenced on Wednesday, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said.  

Tucker had pleaded no contest in December to the embezzlement charge. 

She will be placed on probation for three years after serving the jail time. She was ordered to pay a total of $639,528 in restitution, and has already returned $150,000, the prosecutor's office said. 

Tucker had power of attorney, authorizing her to access her grandmother's accounts. The relative is in her 80s. Tucker used Zelle to transfer funds to her own account during the period from October 2023 to February 2025, the prosecutor's office said. 

"This victim was wronged by a person she should have been able to trust," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. "Sadly, financial exploitation of seniors by family members affects too many people. Seniors should speak up if they feel something is wrong. Ask another relative or trusted friend for help, or call the police." 

The Oakland County Prosecutor's office suggests the following financial steps for older adults: 

Never allow just one person to have "unchecked access" to your finances. 

Allow "view-only" access to a trusted relative over accounts, so they can help monitor finances without accessing the money. 

Use the services of an independent professional, such as a financial advisor or elder law attorney, to help manage finances.