A state employee has been charged with stealing more than $130,000 from a former Upper Makefield Township woman who admitted to killing her two children.
Bridget Nicole Compton, 51, of Philadelphia, turned herself in to Bucks County Detectives on charges of access device fraud, identity theft, forgery, theft, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property, authorities announced this week.
Compton, an employee at Norristown State Hospital, allegedly stole the funds from Trinh Nguyen, a former patient at the facility.
According to court papers, Nguyen was undergoing competency restoration at the state hospital from January to May 2023 before being transferred back to Bucks County Correctional Facility and later to a state prison where she is currently serving two consecutive life sentences.
The theft was discovered in November 2024 after Edward Tini, Nguyen’s ex-husband, reported unauthorized withdrawals from an account linked to Nguyen. Investigators found that Compton had endorsed and cashed five checks totaling $132,480.01 through a Philadelphia check cashing service over two months.
During the investigation, detectives reviewed information related to Compton and Nguyen and found no evidence suggesting Compton was permitted to handle financial transactions for Nguyen, authorities said.
According to detectives, Nguyen had asked Compton only to assist with a change of address so she could continue to receive her mail.
Compton admitted to impersonating Nguyen during phone calls with the bank and authorizing checks to be mailed to her mother’s address, which she then cashed, authorities said.
Compton reportedly spent the stolen funds on a $10,000 gift to her mother and a family trip to Puerto Rico.
“I got the money in July and was broke by Christmas … that’s how quick it went,” Compton allegedly told detectives.
The investigation, which is being led by Bucks County Detectives with assistance from the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, is ongoing.
Following her preliminary arraignment before District Judge Mick Petrucci, Compton was released on $100,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
Advertisement
12 Days of Canna Cheer
