North Church Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Data Breach (2015)

A former nursing home office manager will serve nearly eight months in federal prison and pay restitution of more than $40,000 after stealing from four residents of two homes, one in Jacksonville. The woman, Kristin Chaudoin, 34, of Decatur, pleaded guilty to embezzlement, use of an unauthorized access device and wire fraud on Aug. 5, 2015. She admitted stealing from residents of North Church Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jacksonville and the Lincoln Rehabilitation Center in Decatur. She will pay $40,750.24 in restitution. "It's disturbing to see someone taking advantage of people they have been entrusted to care for," Illinois State Police Capt. Brian Ley said. "Our hope is that our investigations, coupled with aggressive prosecution, will reduce the amount of fraud and embezzlement occurring against senior citizens in Illinois." The guilty plea stemmed from an eight-month investigation by Illinois State Police (ISP) Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau (MFCB) and the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG). ISP MFCB had received a complaint from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Dec. 4, 2013, concerning possible misappropriation of multiple residents' trust funds. A U.S. District Judge in Springfield sentenced Chaudoin to federal prison on July 22, beginning later this month. Upon release from prison, she also must serve nearly eight months of home confinement and then will be on supervised release for three years. Chaudoin was ordered to pay restitution of $36,313.79 to the Social Security Administration and $4,436.45 to Aperion Care, which has since taken over the two nursing homes.