Police: 93-year-old woman had lifelong home sold by caregiver
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - A Hazleton City Police car on Dec. 18, 2022.
HAZLETON – An Ebervale man is in Luzerne County Prison, accused of selling the home of a 93-year-old woman he cared for and leaving her homeless.
Jeremy Cieniawa, 35, of Ebervale, is facing felony receiving stolen property, endangering the welfare of a dependent person, intercept of communications, and criminal use of a communications facility for the incident.
Hazleton Police said Friday that they were contacted about a year ago to assist a 93-year-old victim “who had their home sold without giving appropriate consent.”
That woman was in the full-time care of Cieniawa, police said, who was responsible for meeting her food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare needs.
In October of 2022, Cieniawa, police said, sold the woman’s lifelong home and told her she had to leave by Nov. 6, 2022.
Police said $72,000 — the proceeds from the sale — was deposited into the woman’s bank account and removed by Cieniawa at various ATMs around Hazleton.
Additionally, the woman had not had any of her prescriptions refilled since January of 2022.
Cieniawa, police said, admitted to recording conversations between different parties without their consent “so he could have proof he was not going to get law enforcement involved for selling the home or how he cared for the victim.”
He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge James Dixon Friday and committed to Luzerne County Prison, unable to post $75,000 straight cash bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 16 in Luzerne County Central Court.
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