Staff Report
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman on Tuesday announced the guilty plea of a Murray woman who admitted stealing from an elderly woman while serving as her caregiver, after reaching a plea agreement last week in Calloway Circuit Court.
Leslie Lockhart, 53, pleaded guilty to theft, forgery and identity theft charges connected to the exploitation of Maria Judy. The plea agreement calls for an eight-year sentence and requires Lockhart to pay $300,000 in restitution to Judy’s estate, including $100,000 within 30 days. Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, according to plea agreement details reported by The Sentinel.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Coleman said Lockhart pleaded guilty to theft, forgery and identity theft charges stemming from the case. He said Lockhart stole funds between May 2023 and December 2024 by forging checks and making unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s financial and retirement accounts.
“When a criminal uses their position to steal from our most vulnerable, it isn’t just money that’s taken, it’s trust,” Coleman said. “All Kentucky seniors should know that we take this exploitation seriously and will hold the culprit accountable for her loathsome actions.”
According to the plea agreement, Assistant Attorney General Richie Kemp, who served as special prosecutor in the case, will not oppose Lockhart’s eight-year sentence being probated for a period of five years, provided she makes restitution payments as outlined in the agreement. If restitution is paid in full before the probationary period ends, the Commonwealth will not oppose reducing Lockhart’s probation as long as she has completed at least three years of supervision and will not oppose expungement of the charges from her record.
The plea agreement followed mediation involving Lockhart, prosecutors and members of Judy’s family, as previously detailed in The Sentinel’s original coverage.
