An Alabaster woman was convicted of stealing money from nursing home residents while working as a business office manager at the facilities, according to Attorney General Steve Marshall.
According to a news release from AG Marshall's office, 58-year-old Paige Taylor Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree theft of property, a class B felony on May 17, 2022. She was sentenced on June 27, to 46 months imprisonment split to serve 12 months in the Shelby County Jail and 12 months supervised probation upon her release. Taylor paid $54,830 in restitution prior to Monday’s sentencing.
The thefts reportedly took place in Shelby County and Montgomery County.
AG Marshall's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case after a referral from the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The investigation determined that Smith had stolen $52,000 from three residents of AHAVA Healthcare of Alabaster.
During that investigation, AG Marshall said it was found that after Smith's employment at AHAVA was terminated, Smith obtained employment at Crowne Healthcare of Montgomery, where she stole $3,000 from a resident of that facility.
“Theft from residents of a nursing home is a reprehensible act and those who victimize them must be held to account under the law,” said Attorney General Marshall. “My office, working with other state and local agencies, will remain vigilant to identify and prosecute criminals who prey upon the vulnerable.”
Attorney General Marshall commended his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, including Assistant Attorney General Katie Langer, for its hard work in successfully prosecuting the case. He also thanked the management of AHAVA Healthcare of Alabaster and Crowne Healthcare of Montgomery for their diligence in identifying and reporting the theft and for their cooperation in the investigation.