by Miami-Dade County, Florida — A 55-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges after prosecutors say he exploited a 71-year-old retired nurse suffering from cognitive impairment and drained her life savings, funds that were intended to support her disabled adult daughter.
According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Lyne Bien-Aime is accused of financially “looting” Marie Bertrand, a Miami Shores resident who required around-the-clock care after suffering a major health episode prior to her death in 2022.
Allegedly Posed as Relative and Doctor
Prosecutors say Bien-Aime met Bertrand through church associations and later misrepresented himself as her nephew when interacting with medical authorities.
Authorities allege he also contacted her family members in New York and falsely claimed to be a medical doctor, promising to oversee her care.
Prosecutors said he isolated Bertrand from her family and manipulated her for financial gain.
Power of Attorney and Asset Transfers
Investigators say Bien-Aime had Bertrand sign multiple legal documents, including granting him power of attorney, which allegedly allowed him to:
- Empty bank accounts containing her life savings
- Fraudulently transfer her Miami Shores home into his name
- Access funds meant to safeguard her daughter’s future
According to prosecutors, Bertrand’s savings were specifically intended to provide long-term protection for her disabled daughter after her death.
Authorities further allege that instead of allowing Bertrand to remain in her home, Bien-Aime secretly kept her at his own residence during her final days.
Bertrand died on Dec. 16, 2022.
Daughter Now Safe with Relatives
Prosecutors said Bertrand’s daughter was taken to New York by relatives during her mother’s health crisis and has remained there since.
Bertrand’s brother publicly expressed anger over the allegations.
“He has to pay for what he did because my sister died,” he said.
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Charges Filed
Bien-Aime faces several first-degree felony charges, including:
- Exploitation of an elderly or disabled person over $50,000
- Grand theft from a person over 65 over $50,000
- Scheme to defraud over $50,000
He is also charged with unlawful filing of false documents related to real property, a third-degree felony.
The case remains under investigation.
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