A Fulshear woman will serve a decade in prison after a jury found her guilty of stealing over $200,000 from her elderly father-in-law while he was battling a serious medical condition.
Rebecca Lynn Simmons was found guilty of stealing from and exploiting the elderly on October 21, 2025. The 45-year-old woman was sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay $124,000 in reparations based on the maximum probation period of ten years.
Financial abuse drained elderly victim’s savings
Simmons stole from her 75-year-old father-in-law while he was undergoing treatment for a significant medical condition, according to Chief Economic Crimes prosecutor Tiffany Johnson. She utilized her access to his accounts to pay her debts, depleting his funds until he was almost broke.
The defendant said she and the victim had agreed to spend his money for a house they owned, but her story unraveled after his death.
Granddaughter discovered ongoing theft
After Simmons shut her father-in-law off from his grandchildren, one of his granddaughters checked his accounts and discovered that the defendant had been transferring money from them for a long time.
“These crimes tear families apart and I’m glad that we were able to seek justice on behalf of the victim and his family,” said Johnson. “We hope by recovering restitution, that the victim can be restored and live a comfortable life.”
District attorney praises jury verdict
“Sometimes the worst betrayal is by people we blindly trust,” said District Attorney Brian Middleton. “The defendant took advantage of a vulnerable family member, and she is being held accountable. Thank you to the jury of Fort Bend citizens who made that possible.”
Tiffany Johnson and Samantha Broyles, prosecutors, tried Simmons in the 240th District Court before Presiding Judge Surendran Pattel. In this scenario, theft is a second-degree felony punished by two to twenty years in jail, while elder exploitation is a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years.
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