A Duluth woman is accused of stealing five blank checks from a resident of the nursing home where she worked and writing them out to herself in a total amount of $3,050.
Patti Marie Peterson, 34, made her first appearance today in St. Louis County District Court on felony charges of identify theft and possession or sale of stolen or counterfeit checks.
According to the criminal complaint, Peterson was employed at the Bayshore Health Center, an adult assisted living facility on Park Point. A 78-year-old man reported to another Bayshore employee in October that he was missing some checks. The man had earlier loaned Peterson $700, the complaint alleges. Peterson allegedly took a check from the man's checkbook, wrote it out to herself in the amount of $700 and had the man sign it over as a loan to her.
She's then accused of writing checks out to herself in the amounts of $700, $650, $600, $600 and $500 and forging the man's signature.
Bayshore conducted an internal investigation, which resulted in the firing of Peterson. Duluth police Financial Crimes Investigator Jeanine Pauly asked a Duluth bank to report if Peterson attempted to cash another check on the man's account. The bank alerted police on Nov. 5 that Peterson attempted to cash another of the man's checks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Peterson met with Pauly at the West Duluth police station and admitted stealing and cashing checks from the elderly man, the complaint alleges.
According to court records, Peterson was convicted of transferring stolen property in 1996.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 17.
