Colorado Mom Accused Of Stealing Thousands From Her Special Needs Daughter's Trust
Apryll Sardinha allegedly spent the money on everything from lavish vacations to plastic surgery, breast augmentation, liquor, and lingerie.
Apryll Sardinha [screenshot from KKTV News]
A Colorado mom is reportedly facing charges for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from a trust meant for her 20-year-old special needs daughter.
Apryll Sardinha, 45, was the sole executor of a $1.6 million settlement her child received five years after being seriously injured in a 2005 crash, according to arrest papers obtained by Colorado Spring’s KKTV News.
Sardinha’s daughter was 6 years old at the time of the accident. The child's injuries reportedly caused impaired cognitive functioning and left her unable to communicate.
In 2017, a family member allegedly discovered Sardinha traveled out of state without her daughter. The child had been left alone in a cold house without heat due to an unpaid utility bill, according to an arrest affidavit.
Authorities charged Sardinha with misdemeanor neglect. Though the case was later dismissed, the El Paso County Department of Adult Protective Services reportedly began investigating Sardinha and discovered the trust account had a negative balance of $64.95.
In October, a judge issued a warrant for Sardinha’s arrest on charges of theft and theft from an at-risk person. According to the affidavit, the mom withdrew roughly $800,000 from the trust, KKTV News reported.
Authorities claim Sardinha spent more than $98,000 at a Land Rover dealership and roughly $19,000 at a Mercedes dealership. She also allegedly spent some $18,000 at a Cabo San Lucas resort and more than $4,000 on a Belize vacation. Legal documents further claim she spent thousands of dollars on, among other things, breast augmentation surgery, liquor, and lingerie.
Sardinha, who no longer serves as her daughter's trustee, is reportedly free on bond and living in Massachusetts.
