Westmoreland County, PA — Officials in Westmoreland County say an area attorney is facing charges, accused of stealing over $31,000 from a woman to “fuel his gambling habit.”

Investigators say 69-year-old John Roth, an attorney from Latrobe, reportedly exploited a woman while she was incarcerated.

Authorities say detectives began their investigation in September following a report of theft of funds.

Investigators say the female victim, who is incarcerated, reportedly noticed multiple unauthorized transactions on her bank statements.

Upon further investigation, detectives learned that Roth had allegedly visited the victim and offered to represent her.

Police noted that the victim already had legal counsel and was awaiting a competency evaluation after previously being deemed not competent to stand trial.

Detectives learned that Roth never submitted his name as the victim’s legal counsel and had reportedly persuaded the victim to sign a power of attorney agreement.

Authorities say Roth and a fellow employee reportedly stole over $31,000 from the victim, from April to August of this year.

“These allegations are nothing short of disheartening, that someone who is expected to uphold and abide by the law would be accused of taking advantage of a client in such a vulnerable state. I would encourage any other person who may have been victimized in a similar capacity to contact our office to report it. I thank County Detective Nicholas Caesar for his hard work in investigating this crime,” saysWestmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli.

Officials say Roth’s accounts and the alleged agreement were seized, including his account records from the local Live! Casino, where he reportedly racked up over $380,000 in transactions, from April to September.