Other LanguagesOLYMPIA— An employee of a Pierce County nursing facility pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of first-degree theft, one count of second-degree theft and three counts of forgery.
Katherine J. Burwell’s crimes occurred between October 2005 and August 2006. She was ordered to pay nearly $6,400 in restitution, court costs and fees for her crimes.
Burwell was the business office manager at The Regency at Puyallup, a 96-bed skilled nursing facility. She was responsible for managing various bank accounts affiliated with the nursing facility. She used her access to forge checks and steal from Regency accounts.
Yesterday, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald Culpepper sentenced Burwell to 45 days in custody with the option of electronic home monitoring with 12 months of community custody in addition to her restitution. Burwell is further prohibited from providing services to vulnerable adults and Medicaid clients.
The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of healthcare provider fraud committed against the state’s Medicaid program. In addition, the unit coordinates the investigation and prosecution of abuse and neglect involving vulnerable adults residing in Medicaid funded residential facilities with local law enforcement authorities through a statewide contact network.
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