Saturday, June 19, 2021

Former group home employee stole $81K from residents, Van Buren County deputies say

by Beth Waldon

An audit revealed $81,964.35 had been stolen from 13 residents living at Tenco of Center Village in Keosauqua, sometime between April 2017 and April 2018/KTVO

KEOSAUQUA, Iowa — A former caretaker at a Van Buren County residential facility is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from residents’ accounts.

Marris Romel Whitfield, 45, of Burlington, was arrested in May after an audit revealed $81,964.35 had been stolen from 13 residents living at Tenco of Center Village in Keosauqua.

Court documents allege Whitfield stole the money from residents’ personal allowance accounts. She’s also accused of pocketing their social security checks. It happened sometime between April 2017 and July 2018. Whitfield was the only employee with authority to access those accounts, according to investigators.

Whitfield was no longer an employee of the facility when the suspicious activity was discovered in an audit.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals assisted with the investigation. Van Buren County authorities were notified in January.

Whitfield is now charged with 13 counts of dependent adult abuse, three counts of first-degree theft, nine counts of second-degree theft, one count of third-degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct. She made her first court appearance in Van Buren County Thursday, and she has been released from custody on her own recognizance.

An arraignment is set for July 9, 2021.

First Resources Corporation, which merged with Tenco Industries last year, oversees operations at the Keosauqua facility. Marc Roe, Chief Strategic Officer at First Resources, declined to comment on the case since it is an ongoing legal matter.

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