Clark County grand jury indicts woman in guardianship abuse case

A Clark County grand jury Thursday charged a woman with more than 40 crimes after allegations that she stole more than $50,000 from the special-needs trust of a disabled man in her care, according to the Clark County district attorney’s office.

Susan Rousselle is charged with 22 felony counts of exploitation of a vulnerable person and 22 felony counts of theft. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

The indictment comes one day after a grand jury indicted four people in a massive 270-count guardianship abuse case that law enforcement said included 150 victims.

April Parks, a for-profit guardian, was arrested in Pennsylvania hours after the indictment was announced on Wednesday. She faces 212 felony counts — including racketeering, exploitation, theft and perjury. Parks’ business partner, husband and former attorney also were arrested.

Rousselle was the legal guardian of Jason Hanson, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, when he was between the ages of 16 and 18. When Hanson turned 18, Rousselle was appointed the trustee of his special-needs trust account, which was established by an inheritance from his grandmother.

The defendant is accused of stealing more than $50,000 from the account for her personal benefit. Her bail was set at $200,000.

Each exploitation charge carries a potential maximum prison term of 10 years. Some of the theft charges carry a potential maximum prison term of 10 years, and some carry a potential maximum of five years.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement that he was pleased that Rousselle was charged.

“Stealing from anyone is bad enough, but stealing from someone who relies on you, and you are entrusted to protect, takes it to a whole new level,” he said.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.