Home caretaker Latesha Miller of Chicago Charged With Stealing From Elderly Woman, Hospice Patient

Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire | Sept 18, 2014

(STMW) – A Chicago woman who worked as caretaker allegedly stole from two patients — including a woman living her last days in hospice care — and was ordered held on a $300,000 bond Thursday.

Latesha Miller

Latesha Miller, 37, was working for a home healthcare agency when she stole two checks from a Winfield woman in her care, according to a statement from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 21, Miller made one check out to an acquaintance in the amount of $499.50, prosecutors claim. The friend cashed the check, kept $200 for herself and gave the rest back to Miller.

Miller allegedly wrote a second check to the friend in the amount of $6,856, but the friend could not cash it because the account had been frozen, prosecutors said.

The victim was a woman receiving hospice care in her home, and has since died, authorities said.

Miller is also accused of stealing a credit card and several checks from an 86-year-old woman living at the Spring Meadows senior living facility in Naperville in August 2013, prosecutors said.

At the time, Miller was working as a certified nursing assistant at the facility. She used the victim’s credit cards to make personal purchases, and made unauthorized deposits into her own bank account from the victim’s checking account, prosecutors claim.

Prosecutors also claim Miller also tried to open up lines of credit using the resident’s personal information. The resident’s daughter called police after noticing discrepancies in her mother’s bank account, authorities said.

“Our elderly and those who require special medical attention deserve not only our respect, but also whatever care, comfort and support they need to live comfortably,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.

“The very idea that Ms. Miller thought that an elderly woman and a woman who was living her final days in her home on hospice care would be easy targets is revolting.”

Miller, of the 7300 block of South Wolcott in Chicago, is charged with felony counts of continuing a financial crimes enterprise, aggravated identity theft, financial exploitation, financial institution fraud, forgery and theft, the state’s attorney’s office said.

She will next appear in court Sept. 29 for arraignment.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/09/18/caretaker-charged-with-stealing-from-elderly-woman-hospice-patient/

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