Centerville woman who kept sister in cage gets up to 23 months in prison
A Centerville woman who kept her care-dependent sister locked in a cage pleaded guilty Thursday, and was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison.
Leona Biser, 53, appeared before Washington County Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman to plead guilty to neglect of a care-dependent person and abuse of a care-dependent person. In addition to the prison sentence, Gilman also sentenced Biser to 2 years of probation following her release.
“What Leona Biser did to her sister is unforgivable, but today’s plea is a step toward justice,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro in a press release. “My office fights to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Anyone found neglecting or abusing another human being in Pennsylvania will be charged and prosecuted for those crimes.”
In November 2019, state investigators discovered Biser’s sister, Loretta Lancaster, who was 53 years old at the time, was living in a wooden cage at their Vestaburg home.
The cage had only a dirty mattress, and Biser was not giving her sister necessary medical attention. When investigators discovered her, she was nonverbal. She was later diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, and had contracted arms, legs, and genital warts.
The attorney general’s office charged Biser in January 2020. She was jailed the following August for failing to appear for a court appearance.
Earlier this year, Biser pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing her sister’s Social Security income. For those charges a federal judge sentenced her to 2 years of supervised release and for her to return $12,201 to the federal government.
According to the attorney general’s office, Lancaster’s condition has improved “significantly” since she was rescued.
“She has regained some mobility, recovered from medical conditions that were caused by living in a cage, and has begun working with a speech therapist,” the press release states.