Is Illinois Exporting Corruption Into Missouri?

Adam Andrzejewski ,  

Contributor

I cover the “daily greed” of national, state, and local politics.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

• RSS
• Website
• Google +
• Email

• Full Bio
• Recent Posts
• Popular Posts

I’m an entrepreneur, founder and CEO of OpenTheBooks.com - the world's largest private repository of government spending. Our mission- post “every dime, online” of all local, state, and federal government spending at OpenTheBooks.com & in our award winning Open The Books mobile app. My work has been featured in USA Today; The Wall Street Journal; John Stossel’s 'Innovation Nation' Special; Forbes Magazine; Investor’s Business Daily; HBO Bill Maher's blog; The Rush Limbaugh Show; FOX News Channel - including Bill O'Reilly, Megan Kelly, Sean Hannity, & Bret Baier; Sinclair Broadcast Group - including Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson; Huffington Post; National Review; The Washington Times; TheHill; Sunlight Foundation; Breitbart; Chicago Tribune; Daily Herald, and by many other national media, television, and radio personalities.

The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading...

Loading...

Across America, taxpayers are concerned about politicians rigging the system. In many cases this looks like a “friends and family plan” in which the close associates of politicians get special favors and perks. A prime example is the campaign fund of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. During the 2015 mayor’s race, our team at OpenTheBooks.com found 600 Emanuel donors who contributed $7 million in campaign cash (2011-2014) while their affiliated companies received $2 billion in city payments (since 2002).
Emanuel was hardly the first Illinois politician to engage in “pay to play” politics. In 2008, the Chicago Tribune found that 235 individuals made donations of exactly $25,000 to then-Governor Rod Blagojevich’s campaign and discovered that “3 of 4 donations came from companies or interest groups who got something.”
If Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer’s (R-Columbia) campaign for Attorney General is any guide, it looks like the “Show Me” state may be following in Illinois’ footsteps.
Our investigators at OpenTheBooks.com have discovered that, since 2008, Schaefer raised $720,000 in campaign cash from 271 individual donors and their affiliated companies that also received $3.1 billion in state payments.

Use the interactive map above to search all FY2015 Missouri state payments to companies by ZIP code: zoom-in and click a pin to see state payments.

Schaefer isn’t a household name but he’s the big boss in the Missouri Senate. As either second-in-command or Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee since 2009 – Schaefer is in a position to win friends and influence people. Now, the ambitious Schaefer is running for the top law enforcement position in Missouri: Attorney General. So, our organization at OpenTheBooks.com compared the FY2008-2015 Missouri state checkbook with his campaign donations. Here’s what we found:
Two hundred-seventy one individuals or their affiliated companies gave $720,000 in political cash to Schaefer’s campaign committee. Those companies received $3.1 billion in state payments since 2008. That means campaign gifts from interested parties amounted to $1 of every $3 of Schaefer’s $2.08 million in campaign cash on-hand as of April 30, 2016.
All of these transactions are legal, but the pattern is troubling. Missouri may want to learn an ethics lesson from Illinois before it’s too late.
After the Blagojevich debacle, Illinois passed a “pay to play” prohibition. Any company receiving more than $50,000 in state funds is barred from contributing to statewide candidates or officials responsible for awarding the contracts.
What would happen if we applied a law similar to the Illinois ethics law to Schaefer’s campaign fund?  Our analysis shows that 154 of his donors might have been stopped from contributing nearly $500,000 since 2008. In fact, 24 of Schaefer’s top 30 potentially conflicted donors (or their affiliated firms) received more than $50,000 in business with the state of Missouri since 2008.

In Missouri, at arms-length, it’s legal for companies to receive state payments and give campaign donations.

Here are some examples of Schaefer’s campaign donors with potential conflicts-of-interest:
Among companies receiving state payments, the top contributor to Schaefer’s campaign fund is Schaefer’s place of employment, the law firm of Lathrop & Gage LLP. Since 2008, the firm, partners and employees gave Schaefer $48,604 in campaign donations. Meanwhile, state spending records show the firm received state payments of $66,319.
While a partner at Lathrop & Gage, Schaefer faced allegations that he used his state senate position to benefit the law firm’s clients. In 2013, the allegations included Schaefer’s support of legislation that allowed Chinese-owned companies to buy tens of thousands of acres of Missouri farmland. The now Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods company received that perk and Schaefer’s campaign fund received $30,000 from them (2013-2015).
Did Schaefer play favorites in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri? The Columbia-based Machen auto dealerships received $51.9 million in state business since 2008 and gave $6,750 in campaign donations to Schaefer. Emery Sapp & Sons received $315.2 million in state payments and gave $5,125 in campaign cash. MFA Oil Co received $121.3 million in state payments and gave $3,800 in campaign cash. (All campaign donations to Schaefer from the entities cited above were from partners, employees or the companies since 2008.)

Recommended by Forbes

 

With Schaefer creating the appearance of favoritism and cronyism on many levels, we asked him to release his personal income tax returns. We talked to his campaign manager, but at press time, Schaefer hadn’t responded on the merits.
It’s alleged that other major campaign donors received the benefit of Schaefer carrying their legislation. For example, the Missouri Association of Realtors PAC gave $109,155 in direct and in-kind donations since 2008. The Realtors also funded an organization to fight off the elimination of the state’s income tax by hiring Schaefer’s chief of staff as a political consultant.
For the good of Missouri, here’s our recommendation: Take a lesson from fifteen states including Illinois and enact a tough “pay to play” law for statewide offices and officials responsible for awarding contracts.
I’ve often complained that corruption is the number one manufactured product in Illinois. If Missouri doesn’t rein in politicians like Schaefer, corruption may become Illinois’ leading export.
Adam Andrzejewski is the CEO of OpenTheBooks.com – the worlds largest private database of government spending. 

Disbarred KC lawyer pleads guilty in $1.2 million theft from St. Luke’s Health System

Editor's note:  This Shark watches lawyers stealing from wards in the Probate Court of Cook County yet the IARDC does nothing to stop them.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com


Disbarred KC lawyer pleads guilty in $1.2 million theft from St. Luke’s Health System

Alan B. Gallas pleaded guilty in federal court
His firm served as a collection agency for patients who were behind on payments to the hospital system

Alan B. Gallas, 64, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Kansas City. He admitted taking about $1.2 million from St. Luke’s Health System.

i

Alan B. Gallas, 64, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Kansas City. He admitted taking about $1.2 million from St. Luke’s Health System.

By Tony Rizzo
trizzo@kcstar.com

•  

A recently disbarred Kansas City lawyer pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling more than $1.2 million from St. Luke’s Health System.
Alan B. Gallas, 64, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to mail fraud.

His firm served as a collection agency for patients who were behind on payments to the hospital system.
Gallas admitted that from 2009 to July 2015, he defrauded St. Luke’s Health System out of $1,224,264. He must pay that amount in restitution as part of Wednesday’s plea agreement.
According to federal court documents, money collected by his firm on behalf of St. Luke’s was placed in a trust account. Periodically, those payments would be sent to St. Luke’s.

But according to the documents, Gallas had employees of his law firm withhold money from payments made to St. Luke’s by placing thousands of payments on “hold” status, then having that money transferred from the trust account to the law firm’s operating account.
According to prosecutors, Gallas withheld 62 payments totaling $89,495 in 2009; 439 payments totaling $132,167 in 2010; 613 payments totaling $79,776 in 2011; 601 payments totaling $211,391 in 2012; 699 payments totaling $266,696 in 2013; 625 payments totaling $227,892 in 2014; and through July 2015 he withheld 625 payments totaling $216,845.
Last fall, Gallas, a former president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation, voluntarily surrendered his law licenses in Kansas and Missouri. He also has been disbarred in both states.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.

Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article71563267.html#storylink=cpy

Contact 2 examines exploitation of the elderly

Contact 2 examines exploitation of the elderly

LINCOLN COUNTY, MO (KTVI) - Imagine living a long and productive life only to lose your life savings to fraud. It happens at an alarming rate. Basic home repair can be a nightmare for some senior citizens. And depending on the contractor, it can reach the level of criminal activity.

Last month, 47-year-old Michael David Rickey of Hannibal, Missouri, was charged with felony financial exploitation of an elderly person.

Lt. Andy Binder of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department said an 88-year-old woman paid Rickey $8,500 for a concrete driveway. Rickey laid an asphalt driveway instead.

Rickey's been prosecuted in multiple Missouri counties, including a 2012 case brought by Attorney General Chris Koster's office. Investigators are not sure if there are other victims, according to Lt. Binder.

“We believe he’s committed crimes in probably five different states,” he said. “He’s been charged and convicted by state attorney through this criminal organization that specifically targets the elderly.”

It is a felony offense if a person knowingly—by deception, intimidation, undue influence or force—obtains control over the elderly or disabled person's property, with the intent to permanently deprive them of that property, if the person is older than age 60.

“When there’s an egregious amount of money being spent, for very shoddy work, or very questionable work, that becomes a crime,” Binder said.

Diana Beard gave a man over $5,000 to rebuild her back porch, put a new roof on the garage, and install electrical outlets. Diana said it cost her more every time he showed up.

“I paid him four checks. Every time he came out he asked for a check. If I get mad then I don’t cry,” she said.

The quality of the work was so poor she had to pay someone else to fix it. The elderly lose about $16 billion every year to exploitation. Adding to Diana's initial frustration is the fact that the contractor was on a list provided by the St. Louis County Older Residents Program. Diana said she notified the agency.

“They took him off as soon as I called. They immediately took him off and they’ve got a record on him now,” Beard said.

No police report had ever been filed on the guy and he met other requirements, so he was cleared for the list, according to Diana.

Medi-Nurse is well aware of the risks. The company provides private duty nurses for seniors. And they are paying attention, according to Pat Cook RN.

“We have clients we've cared for, for a number of years. And we become the eyes and ears for the family that are not present,” Cook said.

Seniors most at risk are those with health issues. And surprisingly, research shows victims can be college educated, financially sophisticated and friendly. Victims don’t like to talk about the crime when it happens, Binder said.

“One in 44 cases that deal with financial exploitation of the elderly is not reported, so it is an extremely underreported crime,” Binder said.

If you have been the victim of financial exploitation, you’re encouraged to contact law enforcement. If you have elderly relatives and friends, discourage impulse spending and warn them of the risks of fraud.

Full Article & Source:
Contact 2 examines exploitation of the elderly

Perry Co., MO coroner sentenced for theft, financial exploitation

 

Editor's note: This Shark prays that soon some of the thieves running the Probate Court of Cook County may be sentenced.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com

Perry Co., MO coroner sentenced for theft, financial exploitation

Posted: Dec 14, 2015 2:26 PM CST Updated: Dec 14, 2015 2:54 PM CST

Written by Amber Ruch

Email

Connect

aruch@kfvs12.com

 

 

Herbert Miller (Source: Perry County Sheriff's Office)

• Related LinksMore>>

PERRY COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - A Perry County, Missouri coroner was sentenced to two, seven-year sentences on Friday, December 11.

MOREAdditional LinksPoll

Perry County, MO coroner found guilty of financial exploitation

Perry County, MO coroner found guilty of financial exploitation

Updated: Friday, October 16 2015 5:37 PM EDT2015-10-16 21:37:38 GMTOct 16, 2015 4:37 PM CDTOct 16, 2015 4:37 PM CDT

A jury has convicted a southeast Missouri coroner of stealing from an elderly woman.

A jury has convicted a southeast Missouri coroner of stealing from an elderly woman.

Perry County coroner accused of financially exploiting 94-year-old woman

Perry County coroner accused of financially exploiting 94-year-old woman

Updated: Tuesday, February 18 2014 5:10 PM EST2014-02-18 22:10:54 GMTFeb 18, 2014 4:10 PM CSTFeb 18, 2014 4:10 PM CST

The Perry County coroner is accused of financial exploitation of a 94-year-old woman.

The Perry County coroner is accused of financial exploitation of a 94-year-old woman.

Both sentences will be served concurrently, but Herbert Miller was granted a suspended execution of sentence. He also received five years of supervised probation.
A jury found Miller guilty of theft and financial exploitation in October.
Miller was accused of writing checks totaling $80,600 as a power of attorney to himself on behalf of a 94-year-old woman with dementia and other cognitive disabilities.
The woman appointed Miller as her power of attorney in 2004.
Miller is still, by law, the county coroner.
According to Missouri State Statute 561.021, two things can happen in regards to Miller's position as the county coroner.
Miller may resign, or the county commission or prosecuting attorney will submit a letter to the attorney general requesting that Miller step down quo warranto. They would then file and the begin court proceedings for Miller to step down.
If a vacancy does occur, the county sheriff will step in until the governor appoints someone new to the position.
The Perry County Commission issued the following statement on Monday, Dec. 14 in regards to Miller's sentencing:

"The County Commission is actively communicating with the Missouri Attorney General’s office as well as working with our local prosecuting attorney, regarding the recent conviction of our County Coroner Herbert Miller, to take steps to resolve the matter of Miller’s elective office as soon as possible."

Perry County coroner avoids prison time in financial-exploitation case

Editor's note: This Shark believes that Probate Court of Cook County officials avoid prison time by "Clout".  They are free to exploit the helpless, handicapped and aged at will.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com

Perry County coroner avoids prison time in financial-exploitation case

Sunday, December 13, 2015
By Ben Kleine ~ Southeast Missourian

Herbert Miller appears before Judge Benjamin Lewis on Feb. 6 at the Perry County Courthouse.
(Laura Simon)

[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Perry County Coroner Herbert Miller was sentenced to two seven-year sentences with the Missouri Department of Corrections on Friday in Perry County Court in Perryville, Missouri, to be served concurrently but was granted a suspended sentence and received five years of supervised probation.
Miller was convicted Oct. 16 of financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person and theft of $25,000 or more. One of the conditions of Miller's probation is he must repay $80,600 in restitution for the amount of money he stole. If he violates his probation, he is in danger of going to prison.
Miller said he will remain Perry County coroner, the position he has held for 20 years to which he was re-elected in 2012. Missouri statutes require a person holding public office, elected or appointed, who is convicted of an offense to forfeit the office if the office holder is convicted of a felony or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to an offense involving misconduct in office or dishonesty. Those convicted of felonies are ineligible to hold any public office under Missouri's government.
The next election for Perry County coroner is in November.
Miller was given power of attorney by the victim in 2004, when she was 83 years old. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2008 and entered a nursing home.
Between 2011 and 2013, Miller wrote several checks from her account -- 78 to "cash" totaling $51,400 and another seven to Miller Funeral Home totaling $34,000. Miller testified in court the checks made to "cash" were used to buy items for the victim. Miller admitted to accepting gifts but none more than $200, and he added the victim always approved each payment, including those to the funeral home.
When the victim moved into the nursing home, she gave Miller and his wife, Kathleen, a trust that granted them $1,000 when the victim retired from the trust. Miller testified in court he was unaware he received $1,000 from the trust.
Dr. Mark Schabbing testified the victim suffered memory problems since 2000, which he attributed to normal pressure hydrocephalus. By mid-2013, the victim was out of money and $20,000 in arrears at the nursing home where she lived and applying for Medicaid, testified Greg Martin, who investigated the case while with the Department of Health and Human Services. Martin interviewed the victim and said there was no way she could have given a credible statement. The victim died in February 2014 at age 94.
Kathleen Miller also was named as an associate trustee, and she testified her relationship with the victim was close and refuted some of the claims about the victim's memory in court.
On Friday, several people testified on Miller's behalf, but no one testified on behalf of the victim, a Perry County Circuit Court official said.
bkleine@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3644

Investigators Find MO Nursing Homes Caused or Contributed to Nearly 30 Deaths

News

Investigators Find MO Nursing Homes Caused or Contributed to Nearly 30 Deaths

Tuesday - 11/10 • KSHB

---

Print Article

---

---

By Jessica McMaster

State inspection reports show Missouri nursing homes have caused or contributed to more than two dozen deaths over the past three years.
41 Action News Investigators began reading through hundreds of online reports after the watchdog group, Families for Better Care, ranked Missouri the fourth worst state in the nation when it comes to nursing homes. The same group gave the state an overall F rating.
Nursing home inspection reports from Medicare for the past three years are posted on ProPublica’s website.
One of them was Mary Sales. Her daughter, Cindy Conner, remembers Sales as tough and fiercely independent. Sales, who had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in her later years, still managed to work part-time and lived on her own.
“She was strict; she was loud sometimes,” Conner said. “She loved to bake. She loved to cook. She loved to crochet.”
However, in October 2014, Sales became weak. She made the decision to move into Liberty Terrace Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.

“She wasn’t supposed to be there for long,” Conner said. “She wasn’t there to live.”

Sales’ intentions while at Liberty Terrace were to grow stronger and go back to living a life of independence in her own home. But that never happened. Sales died less than two months after moving into the facility.
Could Sales’ death have been prevented?
In the days leading up to Sales’ death, Conner said she noticed her mom wasn’t doing well. She said Sales would frequently wind up sick in the bathroom. Conner told 41 Action News Investigators she expressed her concerns to the nursing staff, but they assured her everything was fine.
Conner said she trusted the reassurances she received until she stopped by the facility for one of her daily visits.
Conner said she arrived at Liberty Terrace at 3 p.m one day. Her mother’s pills, which were supposed to be taken at noon, were still sitting on a table by her bed, she said. Her mother was incoherent.
Sales went to the hospital that day. She died a few days later of C-Diff, bacteria that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon.
Conner said she held her mother’s hand in the hospital until she took her final breath. “I feel like I should’ve done more,” she said.
Shortly after Sales’ death, Conner began to question if it could have been prevented. According to the state’s investigation, it could have.

The state’s report said the staff at Liberty Terrace made several mistakes leading up to Sales’ death including misplacing physician orders, not following protocol for her medication and failing to notify her doctor in a timely manner of her worsening condition.
“There were people that came in and cared for her and cleaned her up daily…. How could it have not been reported? How could that not have been looked into?” Conner asked.
Deadly findings
The 41 Action News Investigators found the 27 other deaths include mistakes that involved medication errors, bedsores and staff not being properly trained in CPR. There was even a case where a resident was strangled by the seatbelt of his wheelchair because the chair was too big for him.
Brian Lee, director of Families for Better Care, said these types of deaths should never happen.
“To know that there’s almost 30 cases of wrongful death contributed to negligence or abuse, it’s very disturbing,” he said.
What’s even worse is that those are just the cases the state knows about. Lee said many more go unreported.
Why is Missouri’s ranking so low?
In regards to Missouri being ranked the fourth worst state when it comes to nursing homes, Lee said the poor rating is largely due to not having enough staff to care for the residents.
According to Medicare, on average, nurses spend about one hour and 44 minutes a day with each resident. However, the average for Missouri is just one hour and 22 minutes.

Only three other states fare worse than Missouri: Oklahoma, Rhode Island and South Dakota.
Lee said the only way to fix the problem would be for state officials to get involved.
“If the nursing home industry can’t police itself, that’s what our government is there for … to intervene, to protect its people from abuse and neglect,” he said.
Despite several attempts from 41 Action News Investigators, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services declined to discuss the issues.
Liberty Terrace Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center was shut down in August after a series of complaints of abuse and neglect.
Conner said she knew something wasn’t right before her mother’s death, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
“I didn’t know how to fix it, I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t demand,” Conner said. “We put mom there because we had to. Families put their family members there because they
Receive top stories directly to your inbox. close
don’t have another choice, and I did so with the belief that she would be taken care of.”
Sign up for our newsletter.
What can you do?
Medicare offers a nursing home comparison tool on its website.  You can select up to three nursing homes and find information on staffing, health inspections and complaints.  The nursing homes are ranked: one star being the worst, five stars considered the best.
If you need to file a complaint, Medicare has a list of state websites and contact information.

Perryville couple arrested for alleged identify theft, exploiting the elderly

Perryville couple arrested for alleged identify theft, exploiting the elderly

Posted: Oct 07, 2015 12:18 PM CDT Updated: Oct 07, 2015 3:23 PM CDT

Written by Zach Robinson

Email

Connect

zrobinson@kfvs12.com

 

• • Share on facebook
  • Share on twitter
  • Share on email

 

Wendy Farless (Source: Perry County Sheriff's Department)

 

Terry Farless (Source: Perry County Sheriff's Department)

PERRY COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - A Perryville couple has been arrested after allegedly exploiting an elderly person.
Authorities say Terry and Wendy Farless are accused of financial exploitation of the elderly, and identity theft.
Both are in jail on $15,000 cash bond.
According to the probable cause statement, at around 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, two people from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Senior Disability Services, reported financial exploitation of an elderly/disabled person to the Perry County Sheriff's Office.
They say the victim had given power of attorney to Wendy Farless on July 16, 2014 without allegedly having seen, heard from or had any contact with her for numerous years.
The department employees said the victim moved to the Perry Oaks Nursing Home around Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, and was discharged on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015.
While in the nursing home, they say Farless was advised not to worry about taking care of the victim's financials due to him still being able to take care of them.
However, they say while the victim was in the nursing home, Farless allegedly used credit cards in the victim's name to buy numerous items, which the victim did not benefit from, nor did he give Farless permission to charge to the credit cards.
According to the probable cause statement, on Dec. 30, 2014, Wendy Farless withdrew $10,000 from the victim's financial account, which she allegedly did not have permission from the victim to do.
The court documents say the $10,000 was deposited into the victim's checking account and Farless allegedly used the money to make payments on the credit card accounts she was allegedly charging amounts to.
From Dec. 23, 2014 to Jan. 29, 2015, Wendy and Terry Farless allegedly spent about $10,184.86 at a Cape Girardeau casino.
Court documents say Wendy Farless used credit cards at the casino for 15 different transactions.
Wendy Farless allegedly transferred $8,876.99 using Western Union and $1,210 using Moneygram.
Due to the above transaction being completed online, court documents state that a credit card had to be used to complete the transaction.
Wendy and Terry Farless allegedly completed the transactions using the victim's credit cards, and both allegedly took some of money.
According to subpoenaed information received from Western Union and Moneygram, the majority of the transactions were completed and received by Wendy Farless.
The victim revoked the power of attorney for Wendy Farless on Feb. 6, 2015.
The victim's attorney stated he contacted Wendy Farless by telephone on Feb. 7, 2015 and advised her to bring property back that belonged to the victim. On Feb. 10, Wendy Farless returned the requested property and was officially advised that her power of attorney over the victim had been revoked.
After her power of attorney was revoked, Wendy Farless allegedly continued to use the victim's credit cards, checking account and savings account.
Wendy and Terry Farless allegedly spent about $21,494.77 using the credit cards.
According to the probable cause statement, Wendy Farless allegedly bought numerous different items with the victim's checking account and credit cards.
The victim's wife is also in a nursing home, and according to court documents, has been for some time.
According to the probable cause statement, the victim had completed a transaction for some property he sold and there were two checks from the sale of the property. Both checks were written out to the victim and his wife's joint revocable trust, which Wendy Farless did not have authority over.
Wendy Farless allegedly signed the victim's name twice to both checks. One check was in the amount of $151,425 and the other was for $65,679.51.
The probable cause states that Farless allegedly signed her name to the checks saying she had power of attorney.
The checks were issued on Jan. 28, 2015.
According to court documents, when Wendy Farless presented the checks to be cashed, U.S. Bank and the Bank of Missouri denied the checks due to the checks not being properly endorsed.
After a request, the victim was reissued new checks.
Download the KFVS News app: iPhone | Android

Woman charged with stealing from the elderly

Thursday, October 8, 2015
By JONATHON DAWE ~ Daily Statesman

A former bookkeeper at Crowley Ridge Healthcare Center in Dexter, Missouri, was arrested Monday and charged with financial exploitation of the elderly.
Sandra D. Campbell, 48, of Dexter was allegedly using funds from the resident trust account at the center to purchase clothing items for herself.
A report states that director of operations Jo Noe and administrator Joyce Henry conducted an investigation after the business received two deliveries July 14 that were addressed to residents and Campbell.
The investigation concluded Campbell allegedly had used approximately $2,210.63 for her own purchases.
About eight victims were identified in the investigation, according to the report, and a search of the victims' belongings showed that none of the victims were in possession of the purchased items.
The report goes on to say that Noe reviewed the transaction history from 2014-2015 and found that vendors who were not ordinarily used to purchase residents' clothing and personal items were listed on transactions.
Noe also reportedly went online and printed photographs of the items Campbell allegedly bought. When presented with the photographs, the social services director and the activity director, who typically assist with shopping orders, recognized the items as having been worn by Campbell in the previous months. While interviewing different department managers, Noe was told Campbell had worn several of the items.
According to the report, Campbell also had a Facebook account under the name "Susan Montigo," where she was attempting to sell some shoes she had ordered using resident trust account funds.
The report states each item was purchased via check from Crowley Ridge Healthcare Center. Each of the checks had been signed by Campbell, and the signatures were verified.
Noe said the residents are required to sign a Resident Trust Disbursement Request, and the center has reimbursed the resident trust account.
After her arrest, Campbell's bond was set at $50,000, with 10 percent cash allowed. She later posted bond and was released.
Pertinent address:
Dexter, Mo.

U.S. state regulators unveil plan to protect seniors from scams

Editor's note: This Shark believes the well-meaning plan would not work in the Probate Court of Cook County.  As long as judges such as ex-judge Kawamoto who appointed a court adjudicated insane person who resided in 54 institutional settings as guardian, seniors will continue to be scammed.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com


U.S. state regulators unveil plan to protect seniors from scams

By Suzanne Barlyn, Reuters

September 29, 2015

Photo of the Day

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - A proposal unveiled by U.S. state securities regulators on Tuesday could lead to more uniform state laws aimed at protecting seniors, people with dementia and other vulnerable adults from financial exploitation.

The plan by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), would establish a model law whose provisions would include allowing firms to temporarily hold off on disbursing funds or securities when they suspect potential financial abuse.
NASAA, a group of securities regulators from U.S. states, Canada and Mexico, expects to have a final version in place by year-end, said Judith Shaw, who became NASAA's president on Tuesday. Shaw, who is also Securities Administrator at Maine's Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, unveiled the plan at the group's annual meeting.
The group is requesting input from the public and financial advisory industry about the proposal through Oct. 29.
The plan follows efforts by some U.S. states that have already adopted or are considering similar measures. On June 12, Missouri became the third state to enact a law to protect senior citizens from scams and other types of financial exploitation. Washington and Delaware also have similar laws.
More than five million Americans over the age of 65, or 1.5 percent of the U.S. population, have Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, according to the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association. That could balloon to 7.1 million by 2025.
These people can become easy targets for scams. U.S. seniors lose as much as $2.6 billion per year to financial exploitation, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, a trade group.
A model law, which state legislators could choose to adopt, would lead to more uniformity, Shaw said in an interview.
Brokerages and investment advisory firms could then expect consistency when developing their procedures and programming software, Shaw said.
"They know they can follow the same process and procedures state by state in order to protect seniors," Shaw said.
The NASAA plan would allow firms to report suspected abuse to adult protective services and securities regulators without fear of legal actions, such as lawsuits, for violating privacy, among other things, Shaw said.
Firms would also have to make reasonable efforts to get the name and contact details for a trusted contact person when opening a customers' account.
The NASAA effort, in the works for about a year, is similar to a Sept. 17 proposal announced by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Wall Street’s industry funded watchdog.

(Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Carthage man to stand trial on three felony counts

Carthage man to stand trial on three felony counts

0

Share this with your friends!

From

To

Compose your message

Say something about this...

Carthage man to stand trial on three felony countshttp://www.joplinglobe.com/news/crime_and_courts/carthage-man-to-stand-trial-on-three-felony-counts/article_2bcd02a5-4c44-5834-aeec-5fc1ab5642ac.html

• Story

Print

Create a hardcopy of this page

Font Size:

Default font size

Larger font size

Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2015 8:26 pm

Carthage man to stand trial on three felony counts By Jeff Lehr jlehr@joplinglobe.com Joplin Globe

• 
• Posted on Jul 16, 2015
  by Jeff Lehr

A Carthage man waived preliminary hearings this week in Jasper County Circuit Court on charges of financial exploitation of an elderly person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of burglary tools. Associate Circuit Judge Joe Hensley ordered Ferman M. Yoder, 29, bound over for trial and set initial appearances for the defendant in separate trial divisions in the financial exploitation case on July 27 and in the case involving the drug and burglary tool charges on Aug. 17.

Yoder is accused of exploiting a 67-year-old Joplin man on an agreement to build the victim a machine shop more than a year ago at an address south of Joplin in Newton County. The defendant allegedly obtained a $1,000 deposit from the victim to buy materials and subsequently tapped him for two more deposits of $1,000 and $1,800 without performing any work, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Because the negotiations with the defendant and transfers of money took place in Carthage and Joplin, the charges were filed in Jasper County rather than Newton County, according to the affidavit. The other case involves a traffic stop and arrest June 10 of this year near Stone's Corner north of Joplin. A Jasper County sheriff's deputy found Ferman in alleged possession of a bag containing crystal ice, or methamphetamine, two Xanax pills, a screw driver, gloves, radios, hand tools, flashlights, scope and reflective tape.