Woman accused of stealing from assisted-living facility residents

Woman accused of stealing from assisted-living facility residents


By Clifford Ward



Special to the Tribune



3:00 PM CDT, October 2, 2012



A Justice woman has been arrested on a charge that she stole nearly $9,000 from residents of the assisted-living facility in Warrenville where she worked.



Linda Cottrell, 37, of the 800 block of Victory Lane, appeared in DuPage County bond court Tuesday, where DuPage County set her bail at $50,000.



Cottrell worked as house manager at the Cupertino Home, a private facility on Warren Avenue that provides assisted living for men with developmental disabilities.



Authorities allege that she accessed a safe at the home to take ATM cards belonging to the residents. On numerous occasions between December 2008 and December 2011, she reportedly used the cards to withdraw money from residents' bank accounts, according to prosecutors.



In total, she is accused of stealing more than $8,800 from four residents, with about $7,700 coming from one resident, authorities said. Another employee noted discrepancies in some of the men's checking accounts and alerted her supervisors.



Cottrell has been charged with one count of financial exploitation of a disabled person, which is a Class 2 felony. State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement that his office would prosecute her to the "fullest extent of the law."



"People with disabilities rely on others for their day-to-day living and to steal from someone who has placed that amount of trust in you is just disgraceful," Berlin said.



The Cupertino Home is operated by Bartlett Learning Center, which also operates the Clare Woods Academy, a school for young people with special needs, according to the group's website.



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