Joy Recio, 36, of 83 Colony St., was placed in the program Friday during a hearing in Bristol Superior Court, one in which a prosecutor strongly objected to anything but a guilty plea.
Recio was placed in Accelerated Rehabilitation for two years — during which time he must avoid new arrests, make full restitution, have no contact with the victim and not serve in any position involving health care or fiduciary responsibilities.
If he abides by those conditions for the entire probationary period, charges of third-degree larceny, fraudulent use of an ATM, illegal use of a credit card and second-degree identity theft will be dropped.
According to police, Recio stole $4,500 from a resident at Village Green Nursing Home, at 23 Fair St. Recio was a certified nursing assistant at the home at the time.
The conservator for the victim reported the theft to police in the fall of 2015 after seeing 11 ATM charges between June and October in 2015 that appeared to be fraudulent.
Police used surveillance from the withdrawals to identify Recio as a suspect.
The victim, according to the warrant, was admitted to Village Green in November 2014 after he suffered a stroke. Since then, his cognitive condition has deteriorated and he has developed dementia and another condition that brings on uncontrollable episodes of laughing or crying. The man is also legally blind.
“He took advantage of a man who had a stroke and dementia and who couldn’t do anything,” Ronald Dearstyne, the prosecutor, said during Friday’s hearing.
In objecting to the program, Dearstyne said Recio was asking the court to wipe his slate clean after he betrayed the trust of a helpless patient. He also said the case should have been disposed of through a misdemeanor guilty plea.
Recio’s lawyer, though, said his client was willing to make restitution, and has signed a sworn affidavit promising never to work in a nursing position again.
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Nursing home assistant gets program after stealing from dementia patient
He is one lucky thief!
ReplyDeleteW T F now after their accelerated Rehabilitation they can turn around and do it again God damn it... When are these pieces of garbage going to be held accountable Time After Time After Time all this corruption and abuse of the elderly has got to stop!!
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