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OGDEN — A Harrisville woman was charged Friday with selling off her elderly parents’ properties and using the money to buy herself a house and her daughter a car.
Holly Massey Frye, 49, is charged in 2nd District Court with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, theft, and four counts of communications fraud. All the charges are second-degree felonies.
The two alleged victims in the case, Frye’s parents, were over the age of 65 and both have since passed away. Frye’s father suffered from dementia, according to charging documents.
In January 2019, Frye “prepared and caused a power of attorney to be executed, giving her control over various real estate properties owned by (her father). On or about Feb. 28, 2019, the defendant obtained a second power of attorney granting her broad authority to conduct (her father’s) business affairs on his behalf,” the charges state.
In May, prosecutors say Frye sold one of her father’s properties on Grand Avenue in Ogden, and then two more on Aug. 5.
“That same day, using the same Realtor (who was also the purchaser of the two properties) the defendant bought herself a residence,” according to the charges.
In September of 2018, Frye’s parents owned over $2 million in rental properties, the charges state. “By Sept. 30, 2019, only $1 million of that property remained and over $60,000 of expenses to sell real estate properties were sustained in addition to the heavy capital gain tax expenses incurred.”
During that same time, Frye’s parents went from having $1.2 million in cash to $110,000, the court documents allege.
Frye allegedly transferred at least $200,000 from her parents’ account into hers, and wrote more than $150,000 worth of checks made out to “cash.”
