PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Riverview woman arrested in 2019 on charges of exploiting an elderly person pleaded guilty to her crimes on Monday.
Traci Hudson, 55, initially pleaded not guilty to charges of elderly exploitation and changed her plea after periodic court appearances over the course of several years. Following her guilty plea, a judge sentenced Traci Hudson to 8.5 years in jail and 20 years of probation.
Hudson was first arrested in 2019 after a year-long investigation.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Hudson had been working as a professional guardian since 2016. In 2017, she was introduced to Maurice Myers, a 92-year-old man who needed help with his finances after his daughter passed away.
Investigators said Hudson became the court-appointed personal representative for Myers’ daughter’s estate — handling Myers' finances until he passed away in 2018. Maurice Myers had no next of kin.
Deputies said Hudson maintained control over Myers' bank accounts for the next 11 months, during which $541,541.12 was transferred into her own account.
Hudson was charged with felony exploitation of an elderly person over $50,000 in connection to Maurice Myers.
The Pinellas County Inspector General later released a 77-page report in November 2022 detailing concerns with dozens of Hudson’s other guardianship cases.
As part of her sentencing, Hudson was ordered to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution.