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A Rochester nursing home employee has been charged with stealing more than $150,000 from vulnerable residents over a two-year period, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday.
Tammy Echols, 56, of Rochester, was arrested and arraigned on charges of second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud in connection with the alleged theft from residents at St. John's Home.
Investigation alleges fraudulent checks
According to the Attorney General's Office, Echols worked as a senior account specialist at St. John's Home, where she handled resident billing and issued refund checks for overpayments.
Investigators allege that between January 2023 and August 2025, Echols used her position to issue fraudulent refund checks to friends, associates and businesses she owed money to, including a local florist, bakery and construction contractor.
Authorities said the recipients kept a small fee before sending most of the money back to Echols.
The Attorney General's Office alleges Echols embezzled $154,525.99 from funds residents had deposited with the facility to cover their expenses.
St. John's issues statement
In a statement, St. John's said:
"St. John's has been fully cooperating with the Attorney General's Office during its investigation into the alleged actions of a former employee. No residents or families were financially impacted by this situation. St. John's had the appropriate best practices in place during this time and have since added additional oversight measures to further strengthen our processes."
Charges carry potential prison sentence
Echols was arraigned in Rochester City Court.
If convicted of the top charge, she faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with assistance from the Rochester Police Department.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester nursing home employee accused of stealing $150K from residents
