A nursing director working in Tewksbury, Massachusetts has been charged with the alleged theft of over $16,000 from a nursing home resident. The director has recently been charged with one count of larceny.
Law enforcement officials suggested that the director was entrusted to look after the resident's finances. It is claimed that this individual had been for over a year misappropriating money from the resident's bank account. Authorities claim that she would make withdrawals from the resident's account in the amount of $300 to $400 per transaction, and that she would also use the resident's credit card to purchase items that appeared unrelated to the patient's needs. It is also purported that no receipts were produced by the director to validate that any of the expenses were made on behalf of the resident.
We can't know for sure if any of the allegations have validity until this matter is actually tried in court. Though claims of wrongdoing are often published in newspapers as if established fact, there is a difference between being charged for a crime and being convicted through a fair court process.
Also, even if the charges do happen to be reliable, we still do not always understand the circumstances that actually led up to an arrest occurring. We don't know if the person accused had come upon hard times, was struggling with personal issues, etc.
Criminal defense attorneys are there to help individuals arrested tell their story in court and make certain that sentences handed down, if any, are appropriate.
Source: Wicked Local, "Tewksbury nursing director charged with $16,000 theft," July 12, 2013