Attorney General's News Release

January 4, 2010

Attorney General Koster files charges against former nursing home bookkeeper

-- Perry County woman faces 9 felony counts --

Jefferson City, Mo. - Attorney General Chris Koster has filed criminal charges against a Perry County woman who allegedly forged checks in order to steal money from the resident trust fund account of the nursing home where she was the bookkeeper. Connie Jean Beckerman was charged with eight counts of forgery and one count of stealing by deceit. Koster said the victims were Medicaid recipients residing at Perry Oaks Manor, which is now under different ownership.

Koster said the charges were filed jointly by his office and Perry County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Hoeh. Koster said Beckerman admitted taking $5,000 from the fund to buy lottery tickets. He said the Attorney General's Office Medicaid Fraud Unit investigated the case and found evidence that between September 2006 and October 15, 2007, Beckerman misappropriated more than $14,500 by forging the nursing home administrator's signature on checks written for cash and by failing to deposit cash received from residents in the resident account.