Woburn Caregiver Accused of Stealing $2,700 from Elderly Couple

WOBURN - A district judge refused to accept a guilty plea from a Woburn woman who worked as an elderly couple's caregiver and allegedly used their credit cards to go on a $2,700 spending spree buy of Budweiser, Fireball nips and cigarettes.

In Woburn District Court on Friday, Judge Timothy Gailey expressed his displeasure at a giving her probation by rejecting Julie Walsh's guilty plea.

Walsh's attorney explained that his client is "very remorseful about her actions,'' but she has been battling alcoholism for a long time.

The prosecutor told the judge that Charles and Anne O'Hearn are now in nursing homes.

As part of the plea agreement, Walsh, 48, of Woburn, agreed to pay restitution, about $2,700, but Gailey replied that someone who "takes advantage and robs people...their promise to pay money means nothing.''

Walsh can try her luck before another judge on March 31.

At her arraignment last October, Walsh pleaded not guilty to charges of credit card fraud over $250, identity fraud and receiving a stolen credit card.

Woburn police allege that on May 24, 2016 they were contacted by O'Hearn's two grown children who discovered multiple fraudulent transactions on their mother's Capital One credit card totaling $2,700. The siblings suspected Walsh stole the credit card and had been using it, police allege.

Walsh had been hired by the family on March 17, 2016 to care for the couple, who are in their 80s, three times a week, but had failed to make all of her shifts.

In tracking down the purchases on the credit card, the siblings went to Busa's Wine & Spirits in Woburn. The manager allegedly recognized the transactions on the credit card and knew that Walsh, a regular customer, had made them.

The transactions indicated purchases of Budweiser and fireball nips, along with cigarettes for Walsh and her boyfriend, police allege.

Police then checked with Walgreens which had a $136 purchase on April 26, 2016. In checking store security video, police recognized Walsh as the person who was making the purchase at the store on the same date and time, police allege. The purchases at Walgreens included four packs of cigarettes.a

When police questioned Walsh, She told police that Charlies O'Hearn gave her the credit card and Anne O'Hearn gave her a credit card to get what she needed. The couple didn't think she was paid enough ($11 per hour) and wanted her to feel safe, she allegedly told police.

Walsh alleges the elderly couple told her not to tell their children about the credit cards, but to get what they and she needed.

When asked what she had done with the credit cards, Walsh allegedly told police she cut them up because she didn't want the siblings to know she had them, according to police. Walsh allegedly told police she used the credit cards to buy the couple food, prescriptions and white t-shirts.

In addition to purchases at the liquor store and Walgreen, Walsh allegedly admitted she used the cards at the South End Italian Club and to pay her electric bill, which she claimed was $939.

Walsh began to cry as she allegedly admitted she knew she went overboard with the cards.

Photo of Julie Walsh by Lisa Redmond/lisa.redmond@patch.com.