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Woman admits stealing $220K from Worcester rest home, residents

  • Posted by Worcester News Mar 7 - Filed in News - #Worcester  #crime  #Donna Kay Rest Home  #Attorney General  - 3,337 views


    Donna Kay Rest Home on Marble Street in Worcester (Google)

    A Rhode Island woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $220,000 from a Worcester rest home and its elderly residents, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced Friday.

    Luzia Wade, 45, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court to charges connected to a scheme that targeted the Donna Kay Rest Home in Worcester and more than 40 of its residents.

    Wade was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in the House of Correction, suspended for 5 years. As part of the sentence, she was ordered to pay $220,948 in restitution, have no contact with the victims or the Donna Kay Rest Home, and refrain from working in health care or in any role involving people over the age of 60.

    In June 2024, Wade was indicted on multiple charges, including 4 counts of larceny over $250 from a person age 60 or older or disabled, 4 counts of larceny over $1,200, 2 counts of forgery, 1 count of false entry in corporate books and 1 count of tax evasion.

    According to prosecutors, between June 2018 and May 2021 Wade deposited at least $220,000 belonging to the rest home and its residents into her personal bank accounts. Authorities said she also forged residents’ signatures and failed to report the stolen money as income on her Massachusetts tax returns.

    The Attorney General’s Office said Wade spent the funds on personal purchases, including luxury items from retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Burberry.

    The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division, which investigates health care providers who defraud the state’s MassHealth program and handles cases involving abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of residents in long-term care facilities.

    Investigators from the Attorney General’s Office worked on the case with assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and officials from the Donna Kay Rest Home.

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