Gaithersburg, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Financial Crimes Section have arrested 45-year-old Erica Hopper, of Washington, DC, for offenses related to the financial exploitation of her 95-year-old grandfather. 

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In December 2020, Hopper was granted Power of Attorney for her then 90-year-old grandfather, giving her authority over his financial affairs and creating a fiduciary responsibility to act in his best interest. 

In November 2021, a concerned family member filed a complaint, and detectives began an investigation. The investigation revealed that from November 2021 through at least June 2025, Hopper made more than $266,000 in unauthorized purchases from her grandfather’s accounts for her personal benefit. 

The investigation determined that Hopper used her grandfather’s funds to pay over $25,000 in new car payments, more than $49,000 in credit card bills for items such as cosmetic surgery, luxury clothing and accessories, concert tickets, online purchases, and more than $35,000 in rent for a luxury apartment in Washington, DC.  

On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Hopper was charged with theft over $100,000+, theft scheme over $100,000+, obtaining property from a vulnerable adult over $100,000+, embezzlement, and fraudulent identity theft $25,000–$100,000. She was transported to the Central Processing Unit, where she was released on an unsecured personal bond.