Cheeverstown Data Breach (2014)

A care assistant who stole almost 1,000 from his intellectually disabled clients has received a two-year suspended sentence. SHARE Spanish national Jorge Garcia (41) had been working at Cheeverstown, Dublin, for six years when it was discovered he had been stealing money, a total of 960, from six residents' accounts over a six-month period. He did so by altering the figures on withdrawal forms and using a photocopy of an authorising signature. The court heard that Garcia, of Fortunes Walk, City Park, Saggart, has since repaid the money. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample counts from a total of 32 charges of theft from the residents on dates between April 18, 2013 and August 8, 2013. He has no previous convictions. Vulnerable Judge Desmond Hogan accepted that Garcia co-operated with the garda investigation but noted that the money was stolen from vulnerable people whom he had taken advantage of. He said because of the disabilities of the residents, Garcia's plea had assisted the gardai. The withdrawal forms had to be approved by the manager of Cheeverstown and the money would then be taken from the clients' accounts to allow them to pay for cinema trips, for dinner or to go shopping. It was noted that a number of forms carried the manager's signature but the signature appeared to be photocopied. The amounts withdrawn had also not been entered into the resident's account book.