A woman who scammed an elderly man out of thousands of dollars blamed drug addiction for her actions, Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson said.
    Candy Renee Horseman, 26, of Ervin Road, was arrested Saturday in Chatham County, charged with exploitation of an elderly person and probation violation.
    The 81-year-old victim’s family contacted Bulloch County sheriff’s investigators in December after becoming suspicious regarding his finances, Anderson said.
    “The family believed Horseman, an acquaintance of the victim, was taking money (from him) under false pretenses,” the sheriff said in a news release. “Horseman took advantage of the victim’s willingness to help and drained his bank account.”
    When Investigator Dusty Williams began investigating the victim’s financial records, he learned Horseman had taken at least $24,000 over a period of nine months, Anderson said.
    “Horseman used a variety of scams to deceive the victim, including falsely claiming various forms of need and by claiming she was to receive large sums of money to repay her debt to the victim,” he said.
    After her arrest in Chatham County Saturday, Horseman was extradited to Bulloch County, where she told investigators “a drug addiction was the reason for her behavior,” he said.
    She is being held without bond at the Bulloch County Jail.
    Anderson said he encourages family members to “remain involved in the lives of their elderly parents, neighbors, and friends.
    “Usually there are signs that an elder person may be a victim of these types of exploitation and the earlier the situation is recognized, the lesser the financial damage,” the sheriff said.

  Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.