Jackson, MS?A Cleveland man will serve five years for exploiting an elderly woman for whom he was doing some yard work, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.

George Matthews, age 39, of Cleveland pleaded guilty before Judge Charles Webster today in Bolivar County Circuit Court to one count of exploitation of a vulnerable person.

Matthews was sentenced to 10 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with five years to serve and five years of post-release supervision.  He must also pay the victim full restitution of $1,880.90 and an additional $1,000 to the Attorney General?s Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

Matthews was getting blank checks for yard work that he was not doing and then filling those checks out for amounts he thought he should get paid.  The victim in this case is 89 years old.

?We can?t undo this wrong, but we are happy that we can make this defendant pay for his crime,? said Attorney General Hood.  ?I will continue to look after our elderly and our vulnerable citizens with all my power.?

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Marvin Sanders and Irene Mikel Buckley and investigated by Russell Frazier of the Attorney General?s Vulnerable Adults Unit.