Moberly nursing home employee charged with financial exploitation

By Erik Cliburn

A Moberly woman is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing money from a Moberly Nursing and Rehabilitation resident while she was working at the facility.

Kristina Sires, 39, is facing two charges each of stealing and financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person after she allegedly stole $16,000 from a resident of the nursing facility. Sires’ employment status at the nursing home was undetermined Monday afternoon. Administrator Sarah Enyard was unavailable for comment.

Moberly police were contacted by Enyard on Dec. 4 in reference to a potential case of felony stealing involving a nursing home employee. Enyard was contacted by the vice president of Regional Missouri Bank in Moberly about a resident who had made two cash withdrawals, totaling $16,000, from her bank account over the course of two weeks. The resident was allegedly escorted to the bank by Sires during the withdrawals, according to court documents.

The resident told Enyard that she had given the money to Sires to secure in the resident’s safe, which was in her room, according to court documents. Enyard did not find any of the cash after the resident consented to a search of their room.

Enyard confronted Sires about the money. Sires admitted to escorting the resident to the bank, but claimed that she stayed in the back of the bank while business was conducted, documents state.

Sires had told the resident that the money was for a plan to pay her bills in one lump sum, according to court documents. The resident said Sires escorted her to both withdrawals, but could not remember the amount taken out. The resident allegedly gave the money to Sires for safe keeping.

A teller at the bank told police that Sires was with the resident during both withdrawals and that Sires had taken the envelopes containing the cash, documents state. Video surveillance of the bank corroborated that Sires was with the resident at the teller desk and had taken the envelopes.

In an interview with police, Sires said she accompanied the resident to the bank and was standing at the teller desk during both transaction, but she denied stealing the money.

Sires initially was charged Jan. 9, but her case was continued several times. She was arrested Jan. 10 and posted a $20,000 bond. A July 15 arraignment is scheduled for her case.

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Moberly nursing home employee charged with financial exploitation