Yorktown, Va. - Trust. It's what 92-year-olds Ruth and Edward Martin say lost them nearly $14,000.
"I always trusted her. I really did. We had no reason not to trust her; she came across so sincere, but it was all not true ," the couple told NewsChannel 3.
They're talking about their previous caretaker, Michele Conley.
The couple hired her privately after a recommendation from Edward's friend. For a year, the Martins treated her like family. They loved her.
"It's so hard when you see a friend that would do what she did to me. I couldn't believe it."
Court documents say Conley used Ruth's credit card to make dozens of charges on just about everything including, hotels, concert tickets, bills, zumba classes and more.
"When the bank statements came in, we never got them because she was at this end here in a position to intercept them."
It didn't end there. Court papers say Conley cashed multiple checks from Edward.
Edward doesn't remember writing those checks.
"I'm quite careful especially when it comes to money because I don't have that much of it. I don't know how she somehow bamboozled me into it."
When police questioned Conley, court papers say she at first admitted to taking advantage of the Martins. Later, she changed her story and said she thought they were just trying to help her.
"Trust in a way makes you blind to some of these little things because you wipe them out. That can't be that person would not do that to me or anybody else . Beware."
Now the trust between the Martins is what's allowing them to move on.
"When anything happens, I am number two and she is number one. That's my wife, the love of my life. We always have each other. We always had it. I wish we had another 35 years ago."
