Nursing Home Employee Indicted on Charges Related to Theft

The New York State Attorney General recently announced that a former employee of a nursing home has been arrested and indicted on 24 counts related to stealing over $6,000 from a nursing home trust fund. The indictment alleges Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree; and seven counts of Petit Larceny for incidents occurring between April 2013 and February 2014.

As the receptionist, the employee was entrusted with the responsibility of submitting requests for residents who wished to use funds from the trust account. Standard operating procedure at nursing homes is to comingle all resident funds into one account at a bank. A small amount of money is then kept at the nursing home for distribution to residents when requested. Instead of distributing the funds to the residents, the indictment alleges that the employee forged the checks, cashed them, and withheld the money for herself.

Nursing home residents are some of the most vulnerable members of society. Attorney General Schneidermann remarked, “Nursing home residents across New York State entrust financial control to those who are trained and paid to care for them, and those staff members must honor that trust.”

If your loved one is in a nursing home and has been abused financially or physically, contact an experienced Elder Law attorney who can advise you and your loved one regarding the best course of action to take. Call the Law Offices of Tanya Hobson-Williams toll free at (866) 825-1529 or (718) 210-4744.

Author: Tanya Hobson Williams

Appointed to the bench by the Board of Trustees in 2008, and elected in 2009, Tanya Hobson-Williams was the first African-American Female Justice in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. Tanya Hobson–Williams obtained her B.A. in Government and Politics from St. John’s University and her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Tanya Hobson-Williams has an active elder law practice assisting senior citizens in obtaining Medicaid for Home Care and Nursing Home Care. She routinely lectures at senior citizen centers, assisted living facilities, law schools and counsels families on a variety of topics of concerns to families caring for the elderly. View all posts by Tanya Hobson Williams

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