Sep 5, 2008

Thief gets 5 years for swindling woman

Former E. Palo Alto resident found guilty of nearly $5,000 burglary, elder fraud

By Banks Albach / Daily News Staff Writer

A former East Palo Alto resident convicted of stealing nearly $5,000 in cash and goods from an 80-year-old Palo Alto woman was sentenced in Santa Clara County Superior Court to five years behind bars.

Maati Voni Lino, 38, now of Newark, was found guilty June 19 on one count each of burglary and elder fraud, which he committed while supposedly cleaning Lila Golan's roof in the Eichler homes community on Kenneth Drive last fall. He's already been in custody for 270 days.

Contending he was battling cocaine addiction and alcoholism, Lino, a father of four from two marriages, pleaded with Superior Court Judge Rise Jones Pichon for a lighter sentence, or possibly just probation. He read a letter in court, through a Tongan interpreter, claiming he "feels like a new person" after entering the Hope program, an inmate substance abuse group.

But Pichon rejected the request in light of Lino's criminal record - three felony and 12 misdemeanor convictions. She also ordered him to serve three years parole after release and to repay the $4,922 he took from Golan. But Pichon said Lino could delay reporting to state prison for two weeks so he can finish the three-month Hope program and earn a certificate.

Golan was not in the courtroom for Lino's sentencing.

"She was very affected," said Deputy District Attorney Cherie Boulard of the elder fraud unit. "He took advantage of an 80-year-old woman."

Lino first offered to clean Golan's roof last October. The woman noticed he worked slowly and always had excuses for not finishing, even giving a "sob story about his aunt dying," according to Lino's probation report.

Lino returned 10 to 15 times over a three-month period and asked for money each time. According to the report, Golan trusted him and obliged.

But the woman became suspicious after she noticed money missing from her purse and that her Social Security-based savings account had dwindled. It turned out that Lino went through her purse during work hours, stole watches and later made several unauthorized purchases, both with a forged check and with Golan's debit card.

Lino told the court his motive for the thefts was drug money. For several years, he smoked crack cocaine on the weekends "to stay up and party." But periodic use turned into a daily habit with a weekly price tag of roughly $1,000, according to the probation report.

"I'm sorry for what I have done to this person," Lino said. "I'm looking forward to paying the money back. Because I used drugs, it really caused all of these problems."



E-mail Banks Albach at balbach@dailynewsgroup.com.