A Hudson Falls man faces numerous felony charges for criminal possession of a forged instrument as well as misdemeanor petit larceny for cashing checks that had been stolen from an 80-year-old Hudson resident during his hospitalization.
Police say Allen R. Cox, 40, faces four counts of criminal possession in total.
Cox made out roughly $2,000 worth of checks to himself in the victim’s name and cashed them at banks in Queensbury, Glens Falls, and South Glens Falls. All three municipalities are cooperating in the investigation and charging Cox separately, according to the Post Star.
The checkbook had been stolen from the victim’s home some weeks earlier, while he was admitted to the hospital for emergency care.
The theft comes at a time when attacks on the elderly are skyrocketing. Just recently, the Toledo Blade reported that John W. Hawkins, Jr., 47, pleaded guilty to theft from an elderly person.
The crimes aren’t always meant to be subtle, financial crimes that slip underneath everyone’s radar. In Jersey City, ABC 7 New York reported an armed robbery wherein two suspects burglarized and attacked an elderly man in his own home.
Crimes like these have Americans understandably concerned about the safety of senior citizens. While they make easy targets for thieves and other criminals, it’s worth considering how soon even the youngest Americans will be in their positions. By 2060, there will be 98 million elderly people living in America, double the percentage of the population they represented just three years ago in 2013.
Men like Hawkins and Cox, who both had histories of victimizing seniors, will need to be dealt with swiftly, lest we see an increase in crimes proportionate to the increase in elderly persons.