Cordova Woman Guilty in Elder Financial Abuse Case

Talbot County, MD - A federal jury has found a Cordova, Maryland woman guilty in a scheme to steal money from her own grandmother. Linda Laird, 62, was convicted following a three-day trial. The jury reached its decision after about four hours of deliberation.

Laird was found guilty on several charges. These include conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud and theft of public money. She was also convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and elderly person, and fraud in the first degree against a senior citizen.

The case centers on Laird's role as co-guardian and co-conservator of her grandmother. In November 2017, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia appointed Laird, along with her late father James Blizzard and late mother Joyce Blizzard, to manage her grandmother's care. Her grandmother was 81 years old at the time and suffered from severe cognitive impairments.

Joyce Blizzard passed away in June 2018. Laird and James Blizzard continued on as co-guardians and co-conservators after her death.

Court documents show that while Laird's grandmother lived in a nursing home, Laird and Blizzard were required by law to use her money for her own care and support. Instead, prosecutors say the two redirected her Social Security benefits and checking account funds into their personal bank accounts.

In total, Laird and Blizzard stole more than $21,000 in Social Security benefits. They also took over $100,000 from the vulnerable adult's bank accounts. Prosecutors say Laird used the stolen money on jewelry, designer shoes, and football tickets.

The case was investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General, and the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Facci and David Deitch prosecuted the case.

U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss has scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2026.