Caregiver admits diverting client funds

What happened

DOJ’s September 4 announcement reports that Loretta Pyeatt pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with access devices after admitting theft of at least $321,000 from a client. She worked for him from approximately July 2023 through September 2025. The client gave her debit cards to buy groceries. According to the release, she instead also made unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals, while the account continued receiving Social Security retirement and Veterans Affairs benefits.

Before the caregiving arrangement, the account had roughly 20 to 30 debit transactions a month; activity later reached as many as 330. Its balance fell from at least $232,026 at the start to less than $5,600 by July 2025. The release scheduled sentencing for December 9 and described a statutory maximum, neither of which is an imposed sentence. The Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs inspectors general investigated the matter. These facts support attention to authorization limits, receipt reconciliation and unusual transaction volumes rather than treating permission for groceries as unrestricted control of a client’s accounts.

Why it matters

Permission to purchase groceries became access to unrestricted withdrawals and personal spending.

Case details

agencies

DOJ

entities

Loretta Pyeatt

action Type

Criminal resolution

event Date

2026-09-04

alleged Conduct

Debit cards entrusted for groceries were used for unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals.

resolution

A guilty plea was reported on September 4. The release scheduled sentencing for December 9; it did not report an imposed sentence or fine.

Operational lessons

• Limit financial access to documented authorized tasks.
• Escalate unexplained transaction spikes and reconcile receipts.

Sources

• Caregiver admits diverting client fundsOfficial · DOJ, Eastern District of Missouri · 2026-09-04 · Source review 2026-09-06