Elders Line Up, One by One "Our Savings are Completely Gone. We've had to Sell Every Item We Could. We are very Depressed", - Time To Stop The Shame.-
One by one, a succession of elderly fraud victims spoke in a San Jose courtroom Thursday, many struggling for words and composure as they described how a dishonest mortgage broker took their life savings as part of a $43 million scam - and left them bereft.
"Our savings are completely gone. We've had to sell every item we could. We are very depressed, and feel so frustrated, that we must count every penny," said 76-year-old Henry Bertrand, a retired military man whose voice grew hoarse as he explained ..............
"I was shaken to the core," added 80-year-old Mel Nashban,
Fourteen others spoke ........
One by one, a succession of elderly fraud victims spoke in a San Jose courtroom Thursday, many struggling for words and composure as they described how a dishonest mortgage broker took their life savings as part of a $43 million scam - and left them bereft.
"Our savings are completely gone. We've had to sell every item we could. We are very depressed, and feel so frustrated, that we must count every penny," said 76-year-old Henry Bertrand, a retired military man whose voice grew hoarse as he explained that he had trusted broker Michael Schneider, only to become the victim of an elaborate scheme.
Several said they were robbed of their retirement plans and their families' financial security. Some said they were forced to sell their homes, their cars and other property to survive. They described feelings of betrayal, shame and humiliation after learning they had been deceived by a man who had attended their children's weddings and college graduations.
Kate Talbot spoke on behalf of a good friend, Joan Baker, a retired nurse who died earlier this month after suffering a broken hip. Baker recovered from surgery to repair the injury, Talbot said, but she had already lost the will to live.
"She died of a broken heart," Talbot said, explaining that her friend was ashamed to be suddenly impoverished, after trusting Schneider with "every single last penny that she had."
Contact Brandon Bailey at bbailey@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5022.
This will be a series of publications that E.A. will be doing highlighting the "Betrayal of Our Elder Nation."
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