MIDDLEBURG — The wife of the president of a Selinsgrove nursing home is being charged with bilking $40,000 from three of the facility’s residents.
Linda Sullivan, believed to be the home’s acting vice president, faces felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, misapplication of entrusted property, and securing the execution of documents by deception.
At the end of 2008, the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging reported questionable practices were occurring at the Loving Care Nursing Facility, 308 Market St., Selinsgrove.
“This is a culmination of several years of investigation at this center,” Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley said Thursday. “We want to stop financial abuse and exploitation of the residents.”
Both Sullivan and Loving Care are being charged. An employee of the nursing home declined to comment and immediately hung up when contacted by phone Thursday afternoon.
Sullivan obtained the power of attorney for a male resident at the home. At the time, the resident had recently inherited a large sum of money, Sholley said.
On April 16, 2007, Sullivan allegedly used that money to write a check for $10,000 and gave it to the nursing homey. In September 2008, she allegedly used the resident’s money to buy a $21,000 van. Sullivan signed checks to purchase the van, Sholley said, and the title was issued in her name.
“She used the van for personal use,” Sholley said.
After the state Department of Public Welfare came to Loving Care to investigate complaints, Sullivan transferred the van’s title to the resident’s name, Sholley said.
The resident does not have a driver’s license, Sholley said.
Sullivan is also being charged with purchasing furniture in July 2008 for two other residents, and making them pay for it.
Sullivan is claiming the residents had requested the furniture. She charged the residents for the furniture through normal billing procedures, Sholley said.
Since 1987, the Agency on Aging has been designated to investigate allegations of abuse by people over 60 years of age, said Holly Kyle, director of the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging.
In this case, Kyle said, “We received concerns from a variety of sources.”
Often, issues are given to her agency by third-party sources, she said.
Sholley was unsure Thursday of the possible range for a prison sentence Sullivan would face if convicted.
The Area Agency of Aging, and the district attorney’s office was assisted by multiple state agencies, Sholley said.
An investigation was first initiated by Selinsgrove police, and a second investigation by the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging. The detective in charge of the investigation completed the last interview Wednesday morning, Sholley said. A district judge will set a court date.
-- E-mail comments to tpursell@dailyitem.com
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Woman charged in $40K bilking
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