Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
A Bensalem Township woman was sentenced Wednesday to jail and probation after admitting to a series of crimes, including stealing from elderly women she was hired to care for and faking cancer to postpone her trial.
Shannon Lynn Eberhart, 48, was handed a sentence of one year minus a day to two years minus a day in the Bucks County Correctional Facility by Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman. Following her time behind bars, Eberhart will serve an 11-year probation period. She was also ordered to pay $32,835 in restitution to her victims, undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment, and is permanently banned from working as a caregiver.
Eberhart pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a computer, financial exploitation of an older adult or care, identity theft, theft, receiving stolen property, and access device fraud.
“You are nothing but a con artist who deceived the people who cared for you,” said Gilman.
The judge also questioned in court whether Eberhart tears were real.
The case involved Eberhart stealing cash and heirloom jewelry from two families, along with making unauthorized bank withdrawals.
The stolen items included pieces of jewelry passed down through generations, making the emotional toll on the victims particularly severe.
Eberhart was changed in February 2023 following an investigation by Newtown Township police.
As her case moved along, Eberhart submitted fraudulent documents last December that were intended to delay her legal proceedings. They were purported to come from a Montgomery County hospital and stated she had stage 4 esophageal cancer and needed further treatment, authorities said.
However, the deception fell apart after Bucks County Detectives contacted the doctors supposedly treating Eberhart, who denied any involvement.
Further investigation confirmed the medical documents were forged, complete with a fake hospital name and logo, according to authorities.
“You betrayed every cancer patient, you betrayed the court system, you betrayed your attorney,” he said.
The families of the victims came to court and said they trusted Eberhart before they found out she was ripping them off.
“Shannon’s actions here are unforgivable,” one of the victims said. “These pieces of jewelry tell stories of my family, past and present, and can never be replaced.”
It was also revealed that Eberhart had received condolences and flowers from one family after she told them her mother passed away. Eberhart’s mother was alive and in court on Wednesday.
Deputy District Attorney Marc Furber said Eberhart’s thefts started shortly after she began working as a caregiver.
“This case should be a lesson to those who are in positions of trust for elderly or disabled individuals. That trust should be upheld at all costs. If you make the decision to violate that trust, you will be caught, you will go to jail and further attempts to manipulate the legal system will fail,” Furber said.
In addition to Newtown Township police and Bucks County Detectives, the investigation was assisted by the Warminster Township Police Department.
