That’s after she admits to taking $260,000 dollars from an older College Station woman.
The Brazos County district attorney’s office says full restitution is part of a plea agreement, along with a 20 year prison sentence.
Prosecutors say 41 year old Crystal Lynn Allen of Somerville inserted herself into the life of the 64 year old victim and was able to access the victim’s personal and financial information.
Allen pleaded guilty to theft from the elderly, a second felony theft charge, and possessing a controlled substance.
A Brazos County DA’s news release says Allen previously served prison time for burglary of a habitation.
Brazos County jail records show she is also facing charges in Burleson County of theft and eight counts of forgery.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
On Monday, July 28, 2025, Judge David Hilburn of the 361st District Court sentenced Crystal Allen to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for her role in a scheme that defrauded a 64-year-old College Station woman of nearly all her life savings.
Allen pled guilty to Theft of Property $150,000–$300,000, Theft from the Elderly $2,500–$30,000, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
The investigation began in September 2021 after the victim was hospitalized for an injury. A family member caring for her noticed large sums of money missing from her accounts and alerted the College Station Police Department. Detectives soon uncovered that, over the course of a year, Allen had drained the victim’s finances.
Allen first met the victim in October 2020 and gradually inserted herself into the victim’s life by offer-ing to help with errands, cleaning, and deliveries. As she gained the victim’s trust, Allen secretly obtained access to her personal and financial information. She fraudulently opened bank accounts, paid her own bills using the victim’s money, and transferred funds to herself using digital payment platforms such as PayPal and Square.
At the start of the relationship, the victim had over $260,000 spread across three bank accounts. When the theft was discovered, those accounts had a combined balance of less than $4,000.
At the time of this offense, Allen had a prior conviction for Burglary of a Habitation, for which she had previously served a prison sentence. While these charges were pending, she was also arrested in Burleson County for Theft by Check charges, demonstrating a continued pattern of dishonest and criminal behavior. As part of the sentence, the court ordered Allen to pay $260,000 in restitution to compensate the victim for her losses.
Statement from assistant district attorneys Rachel Porter and Kevin Capps: “This case highlights how financial predators can insert themselves into the lives of vulnerable individuals under the guise of helping. This defendant didn’t just steal money — she stole security, peace of mind, and years of trust. We are grateful to the College Station Police Department for their thorough and diligent investigation.”