WDNG Media - Woman dupes rehab center out of nearly $30,000

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Woman dupes rehab center out of nearly $30,000

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Birmingham Police are hunting for a woman they say stole nearly $30,000 in cash from a rehabilitation center and its patients. Police say the employee, Rhonda Jefferson, 39, told patients at Arlington Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center on Tuscaloosa Avenue they had to pay in cash and instead of putting that money towards their bill, police say she pocketed it instead. Investigators say Jefferson did this to six patients and police fear there could be more victims. "After they went in and investigated they found this person was taking money and not posting it to the accounts as she should have," Sgt. Johnny Williams said. There are four warrants out for Jefferson's arrest, all for theft of property. Williams says the investigation started last October. Police arrested Jefferson in February and March. That's when police say she was fired from her job. The investigation continued and now four more cases have come up, prompting new charges. "They're entrusting her to apply this towards the account so their family members will be taken care of and the center, they're going to work with these families to get those accounts straight," Williams said. Chris Burson brought her 91 year old grandmother to Arlington Rehabilitation from Montgomery about a month ago. She was shocked when I told her about the accusations. "That would be shocking as well as disappointing but things happen and if she's been arrested then that means the problem has been resolved," Burson said. Burson says she's pleased with the care her grandmother is getting at Arlington Rehabilitation and the executive director, Kevin Ball, says there are systems in place to make sure this doesn't happen again. "None of the residents that were residents of our facility were affected not one. The money that she took was of the facility, not the residents," Ball said. Sgt. Williams says if Jefferson isn't caught and put in jail he's concerned she could find another job in Birmingham and do the same thing to someone else.

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Keywords: Arlington Rehab Center, Birmingham, stole, cash, Rhonda Jefferson,

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