Jackson, Miss.- A Forrest County woman has been arrested for exploitation of a close relative classified as a vulnerable adult, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.
Valeria Knight, age 49, was arrested July 24, after being indicted by a Forrest County Grand Jury on three counts of Felony Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult.
“The indictment alleges that the defendant took over $27,000 from the victim and used it for her own personal gain,” said Attorney General Jim Hood.
According to the indictment, Knight took $6,424.73 from the victim’s bank account between July and September of 2007, $17,430.83 between October and December 2007 and $3,668.00 between January and February 2008.
Knight was picked up in Nashville, TN and was extradited to Mississippi by Investigators with the Vulnerable Adults Unit of the Attorney General’s Office.
If convicted, Knight faces up to 10 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and a $10,000 fine for each count.
As with all cases, the charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.