Misappropriation of Resident Funds by Social Services Director
Penalty
Summary
A Social Services Director (SSD) misappropriated a resident's property by using the resident's banking information for personal use. The SSD obtained the resident's debit card information when the resident visited the SSD's office for assistance with insurance cards. The SSD wrote down the debit card numbers without authorization and later used this information to transfer funds from the resident's account into the SSD's own Cash App account. Bank records showed multiple unauthorized transfers, including two separate $500 transactions and earlier transfers of $10 and $25 to the SSD's account. The resident, who had a history of chronic medical conditions and was assessed as severely cognitively impaired, did not give permission for the SSD to use the bank card or transfer funds. The misappropriation was discovered when the resident's family attempted to withdraw funds and found the money missing. A bank investigation confirmed the transfers to the SSD's account. During interviews, the SSD initially denied taking the funds and claimed the Cash App account had been hacked, but later admitted to law enforcement that the resident's information had been added to the SSD's Cash App. The SSD had previously received in-service training on abuse and neglect, including the facility's abuse prevention policy, which prohibits the misappropriation of resident property.