MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Two individuals, Lee Anne Harris and Henry Harris, were arrested on charges of theft of property over $250,000, identity theft, and financial exploitation of an elderly person. They are accused of stealing more than $400,000 from 88-year-old Beverly Bendixson, court records reveal.
The incident was reported by Bendixson’s son, John Fenske, who filed a police report after reviewing his mother’s finances. According to Fenske, the thefts occurred between April 2021 and December 2022, during which he found over $675,000 had been misused.
Court records indicate that Lee Anne Harris, who had become Bendixson’s power of attorney in 2019 to assist with paying bills, was unauthorized to receive payment for this role. Nevertheless, Lee Anne and Henry Harris allegedly used Bendixson’s debit card for personal purchases totaling $93,000 and spent over $240,000 at Amazon, Uber Eats, Lowe’s, and Home Depot on items unrelated to Bendixson’s care. Additionally, checks worth more than $84,000 were written in Bendixson’s name without her knowledge.
Both Harris and Harris face serious charges and are expected to appear in court soon as the investigation continues.