Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced former employees of a
Perry County nursing home have been arrested for multiple felony counts of
exploitation for allegedly using residents’ personal funds to buy clothing,
jewelry, shoes and makeup for themselves.
Jewel Darlene English, 48, and Sharla Renea
Christie, 35, both of Perryville, were arrested last week following an
investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. English was
formerly the administrator of Perry County Nursing and Rehabilitation. Christie
had been the nursing home’s office manager.
Both are accused of allegedly stealing from a trust account
established to pay for residents’ personal expenses and needs.
English is alleged to have stolen from eight
residents, and she was charged with six Class C felony and two misdemeanor
exploitation counts. Christie is accused of stealing from four residents and has
been charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor. The total amount taken
from the trust account was $4,604.
“We intend to demonstrate in court that these
individuals took money intended for the benefit of nursing home residents and
used it for themselves,” McDaniel said. “We trust nursing home employees to care
for our loved ones, not to spend our loved ones’ money on items like lipstick,
jeans and costume jewelry.”
An investigator with the Attorney General’s Office
found that English and Christie made a series of unauthorized withdrawals from
the trust account between Sept. 21, 2012, and Nov. 21, 2012. They are accused of
writing and signing checks from the account, cashing the checks, then using that
money for their personal benefit.
Money taken from the account was used for
purchases at Dillard’s, Merle Norman and The Buckle. None of the items purchased
were authorized by the nursing home residents or their families and none of the
items were found in possession of the residents.
Charges are merely accusations and a defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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