AG Announces Arrest in Tallapoosa Co. Nursing Home Theft Case

An Alexander City woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from patients at a local nursing home.

Elener Wyckoff, 47,  surrendered to the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office, and was charged with  theft of property in the second degree.  She was released on $ 10,000 bond. Wyckoff is an employee of the Adams Nursing Home. As a social services assistant, one of Wyckoff’s duties was to manage the patient trust fund and purchase items based on the needs or wants of the patients.  In this instance, Wyckoff cashed the checks and kept the funds for herself.

The theft was discovered when administrators at the facility initiated an unannounced audit of the patient trust fund.  It is alleged that Wyckoff stole a total of $2,470.  When confronted, Wyckoff attempted to conceal the theft by manufacturing and copying receipts from local businesses showing items had been purchased.  However, no such items had been purchased or distributed to the patients.

Theft of property in the first degree is a class C felony, which carries a possible prison sentence of a year and a day to 10 years.