FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
July 2, 2015
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
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AG ANNOUNCES ARREST OF A NURSING HOME BOOKEEPER
FOR THEFT SCHEME INVOLVING PATIENT TRUST FUND MONIES
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced the arrest of a
former employee of a Birmingham nursing home this week for theft of patient trust
fund monies. Gwendolyn Michelle Lacy, 38, of Birmingham was arrested on June 29, 2015.
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit presented evidence to a
Jefferson County grand jury resulting in an indictment* dated March 6, 2015, charging
Lacy with one count of first-degree theft of property and three counts of computer
tampering.
It is alleged that while acting as a bookkeeper for East Glen Nursing Home in
Birmingham, Lacy stole over four thousand dollars from the patient trust fund. It is
further alleged that Lacy manipulated the electronic files of three residents in order to
hide the theft. As bookkeeper Lacy had access to each of the nursing home residents’
“face sheet”, an electronic profile listing points of contact and other personal
information. It is alleged that Lacy accessed the face sheets of three residents and
added the names of her associates as family members of the residents. She then wrote
checks to these individuals from East Glen’s resident trust account which were
subsequently cashed. In total nine checks were written for a total of $4,068.
The other individuals involved have been charged, however, no other
information can be released at this time.
Theft of property in the first degree is a class B felony, which carries a possible
prison sentence of two to 20 years in the Department of Corrections. Computer
tampering is a class C felony, which carries a possible prison sentence of a year and a
day up to 10 years in the Department of Corrections.
*An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
