Authorities have accused a Logan County woman of taking money from a psychiatric hospital patient while she worked for a residential services provider.
Brooke Elaine Vance, 28, of Logan faces charges of financial exploitation of an incapacitated adult, grand larceny, fraudulent schemes, fraudulent use of an access device, obtaining money under false pretenses, as well as forgery and uttering, according to a criminal complaint filed in Logan County Magistrate Court.
The complaint states that on Feb. 13, deputies received a report alleging that a ResCare Community Living employee had been stealing from a resident. Deputies learned the resident’s bank card had been used several times while the individual was admitted to Mildred Mitchell Bateman Hospital in Huntington.
Investigators uncovered nearly $2,000 in transactions at Walmart, Kroger, Dollar Tree and Speedway over a two-month period while the resident remained hospitalized. Deputies gathered evidence from the retailers that matched the dates and times the purchases were made using the resident’s card.
According to investigators, the purchases did not align with the resident’s well-being, and they accuse Vance of requesting cash back during several of the transactions.
Court records also indicate investigators discovered a suspicious check. Records show the check issued from ResCare carried a signature that did not match the resident’s previous signatures.