CLEARFIELD – A Brisbin woman accused of stealing from a former client waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Jodie Yarger faces charges of theft by deception, theft, forgery and identity theft. Yarger was hired on Dec. 1999 by the CCAAA as director of long term care services. According to the affidavit, her employment was terminated on Jan. 30, 2009 for cause, including intentional state regulatory violations and unauthorized actions beyond the scope of her position.
Accoding to the affidavit of probable cause, on July 13 2005 the alleged victim in the case was placed in the care of the CCAAA at Ridgeview Elder Care due to being unable to take care of herself.
On Dec. 6, 2010, the alleged victim’s attorney received a letter from a collection agency requesting information on his client’s estate. The company purchased a debt of $1,532.44 from a bank. The collection agency claimed the alleged victim obtained a credit card from the bank and made several purchases. Investigators obtained records from both agencies and learned that a credit card had been taken out in the alleged victim’s name, through her home address.
According to the affidavit, the collection agency, like other collection agencies, records phone conversations with their customers. From Aug. 25, 2009 through March 15, 2011, several employees made calls to a wireless number. The numbers, as of those conversations, was registered to Yarger. The affidavit states that they were told several times payment would be made.
Records from one of the agencies showed that from Aug. 15, 2006 through Feb. 19, 2007, $1,473.90 was charged to the card without any payments being made. The account was closed at that time. On March 19, 2007, due to finance charges, the final debt on the card was $1,532.44. Shortly after, the collection agency bought the debt.
According to the affidavit, on Nov. 4, 2009, Yarger claimed to be the alleged victim’s daughter and that the alleged victim was in a nursing home. On Sept. 10, 2010, Yarger reportedly told the person on the other end that her “mother”, the alleged victim, had passed away. She verified the last four digits of the alleged victim’s social security number and stated she would take care of the debt.
The debt was never paid, which prompted the letter to the alleged victim’s attorney.
CCAAA Protective Services Supervisor Amanda Legars looked at a Clearfield Bank & Trust Account belonging to the alleged victim. She obtained business records for the account belonging to her or the alleged victim’s son. While looking at the account, Legars reportedly discovered that Yarger had written several checks as well as used electronic checks to pay for things. Some of the checks were made out to “cash.” All of the checks were written after the alleged victim was placed in Ridgeview Elder Care.
Investigators believe that Yarger came into possession of the check book when a caseworker brought the alleged victim’s possessions to the CCAAA. The affidavit states that Legars never located the checkbook or pen register at the CCAAA.
During her continued investigation, Legars obtained information regarding the alleged victim’s life insurance policy. From business records, Legars observed that Yarger had allegedly requested a loan from the policy. On Aug. 5, 2005, Yarger reportedly signed for a policy loan of $6,151. On Aug. 16, 2005, a check from insurance company was made out to the alleged victim for the above amount. On the back of the check was a transaction date of Aug. 23, 2005, which occurred at Clearfield Bank & Trust. Bank records showed that on Aug. 23, 2005, a deposit in the amount of $4,151 was made to the alleged victim’s account.
In business records obtained from Verizon Wireless, an account was started on Aug. 1, 2005. Two cell phones were obtained in the name of the alleged victim. The contact number in records with the collection agency matched one of the phones. The affidavit states that the person the collection agency employees were speaking to was Yarger.
On Dec. 27, 2010, Tpr. Terry Jordan spoke with Legars and CCAAA Executive Director John Kordish. Legars provided Jordan with the pertinent business records. According to the affidavit, the records showed that Yarger used the alleged victim’s identification to obtain phone services and a credit card. The affidavit also states that she made unauthorized cash withdrawals and paid bills with the alleged victim’s checking account, as well as several unauthorized cash withdrawals. Records also reportedly showed that Yarger drew against the alleged victim’s life insurance policy.
On June 23, 2011, Jordan interviewed former CCAAA employee Amanda Cole, who worked the alleged victim’s case. She told Jordan that while she was working the case CCAAA had to petition the court because the alleged victim was no longer able to care for herself. When the alleged victim as placed in Ridgeview Elder Care, Cole said she had to go to the alleged victim’s apartment and gather her belongings, including personal information and her checking information. These were then taken back to CCAAA, where she said she turned them over to Yarger, who was her supervisor at the time.
Due to the alleged victim’s condition police did not interview her. The affidavit states that Yarger and her attorney were contacted and asked for Yarger’s cooperation in the case with negative results.
