According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Robert Greenberg sentenced defendant, Maritza Ramirez, 57, of Germantown to five years in prison suspend all but 18 months and five years of supervised probation upon release. Ramirez was also ordered to pay $7,700 in restitution to the families of victims she stole from. Ramirez was a 14-year employee of Marian Assisted Living, located in the 19100 block of Georgia Avenue. On November 29, 2022, she pleaded guilty to Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adults in a Scheme.
The investigation began in March of 2022 when one victim’s family discovered that while their relative, a resident at Marian, underwent surgery and recovery, several items of jewelry and a cell phone had gone missing from the secured bedroom. The ensuing investigation by Montgomery County Police uncovered at least 11 victims and pawn shop records which show that between 2015 and 2022 Ramirez received at least $7,700 by selling 81 items including jewelry and several designer purses. Chief of our Special Prosecutions Unit, Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Roslund prosecuted this case.”
“Maritza Ramirez was entrusted with the care of vulnerable adults and violated that trust when she stole their possessions and used the items for her personal financial gain. Multiple items had great sentimental value to the families who were victimized, and those items have not been recovered. We thank Judge Greenberg for this appropriate sentence. It should serve as a deterrent for anyone looking to use their position to exploit a vulnerable person in this way,” said Lauren DeMarco, spokesperson for the State’s Attorney’s Office.