JEFFERSON —
A November trial is ahead for an Ashtabula woman accused of taking $20,000 from Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities consumers over more than two years.
Faith L. Pearson, 51, of Reed Avenue was indicted recently on a charge of theft from the elderly or disabled, a third-degree felony, officials said. She was released on a personal recognizance bond, court records show.
The case has been assigned to Common Pleas Court Judge Gary Yost. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 19, followed by a trial on Nov. 5.
The sheriff’s office was contacted by the Developmental Disabilities personnel in late October about a possible discrepancy, investigators said. Deputies said Pearson was an employee of Brighter Horizons, an independent company that handled payments to several DD clients. Pearson was not an employee of the DD board, said County Prosecutor Thomas Sartini.
“She worked for an agency that provided services to developmentally disabled persons,” he said.
Deputies said Pearson added her name to the accounts of several consumers. Interviewed by deputies, Pearson admitted to writing 102 checks — 57 of them netting her $20,325.38. The remaining 45 checks, amounting to $18,410.32, Pearson admitted were used improperly to pay bills for other clients, deputies said.
Investigators identified 10 separate DD consumers considered to be victims of the crime. Checks were written between January 2009 and September 2011.
“The health, safety and welfare of (clients) is definitely a top priority with the county board,” Anne Zeitler, the board’s superintendent, said Tuesday. “The case is now with the prosecutor’s office as a result of a thorough investigation. We hope justice will be served.”
Pearson is represented by local attorney William Bobulsky, who was away from his office Tuesday and unavailable to comment.
A message left at Brighter Horizons seeking comment was not immediately returned Tuesday.
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