Friday, December 9, 2022

Former caregiver at South Abington nursing home stole resident's check, police said

by Joseph Kohut

Dec. 7—A former caregiver at a South Abington Twp. nursing home stole a check from a resident and forged her signature for $600, police said.

Lakeyah Jones, 43, 926 Green Ridge St., Scranton, faces counts of forgery, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Jones is free on $5,000 bail. Reached by phone Tuesday, she denied she stole the check and then declined to comment.

"I didn't take anything," she said.

Jones was fired from Abington Manor on Oct. 24 for unrelated issues, police said. Attempts to reach a representative from the nursing home were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Patrolman Paul Wolfe in November followed up on a report of theft at the nursing home and spoke with 78-year-old resident Carol St. Clair.

St. Clair, who worked as an accountant, discovered the theft while reviewing her monthly banking statement.

The check was made payable to the Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records and had the word "rent" written in the memo line. Jones recently was brought to court as her landlord sought to evict her. Jones was $2,705 in arrears, court records show.

Staff at the nursing home called the county office and found out the check had been dropped off by Jones.

Wolfe interviewed Jones, who denied she stole the money. Jones said she told St. Clair she was "having a situation" and the 78-year-old woman cut her a check for $600.

St. Clair told police Jones lied.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Dec. 20.

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Former caregiver at South Abington nursing home stole resident's check, police said

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