Former Pennsylvania Nursing Home Aide Sentenced for Stealing Jewelry from Dementia Patients
In a shocking incident of nursing home malpractice, a former nursing aide of a Pennsylvania nursing home has been sentenced to time in jail for stealing jewelry from dementia patients, says an article on triblive.com. Christina Louise Ankney, of Allegheny County, has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property related to two incidents that took place while she was subcontracted to work as an aide at Redstone Highlands in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.
According to the article, Ankney stole rings from two patients and later pawned them at a local pawn shop for cash. Two of the rings she’d pawned were wedding and engagement rings wrested from the fingers of a patient who suffered from a condition that left her hands in a constant state of contraction.
“For Ankney to steal the two rings…she would have had to forcefully pry (the victim’s fingers) open and physically keep them open long enough for her to pull the two rings from her fingers, a task that most likely caused (the victim) discomfort,” said an officer quoted in the criminal complaint about the incident of nursing home malpractice.
A tip to police about the pawning led authorities to identify the missing rings and confirm Ankney as the person who had pawned them.
As penalty for the theft equating to nursing home malpractice, Ankney was sentenced to serve 306 days to 23 months in jail and to pay $9,500 in restitution to one victim’s family and $130 to Redstone Highlands.
Beyond this incident of nursing home malpractice, Ankney is separately the subject of a federal indictment for allegedly stealing mail while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in 2022.
Nursing home theft is a type of nursing home abuse, and when it happens, an incident of nursing home malpractice has occurred. If you suspect your loved one living in a nursing home has been victimized by nursing home theft, don’t hesitate to report it. For any questions about what to do if you suspect elder abuse or what steps to take if you need a wrongful death attorney, you should contact a nursing home malpractice attorney immediately.
Fighting Against Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death
Attorney Brian P. Murphy endeavors to protect the safety and rights of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey nursing home residents. Your loved one living in a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home should not need to worry that his or her person items are at risk of being stolen or that he or she should be subjected to any sort of nursing home malpractice, especially any sort that would require securing a wrongful death attorney. As an experienced nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian Murphy holds accountable those Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes responsible for every kind of negligence and abuse. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or if you need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today.
