Tulsa World: Woman pleads guilty to exploitation

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Woman pleads guilty to exploitation
The former DHS worker is accused of taking money from two vulnerable men for her own use.

AWAITS SENTENCING
Debra Roberts: In one case, she was charged with taking nearly $4,500 from an 84-year-old man. In the other, she was charged with converting $5,900 belonging to a 74-year-old mentally disabled man for her own use. She was a temporary guardian in both cases.

By BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Published: 10/6/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 10/6/2009 5:44 AM

A former Department of Human Services employee pleaded guilty Monday to two Tulsa County felony charges of financially exploiting vulnerable adults.

Debra Roberts, 51, waived her right to a trial, and she has no agreement with prosecutors to govern her punishment.

Associate District Judge Dana Kuehn withheld any finding of guilt. Roberts is free on bond while she awaits sentencing — set for Dec. 21 — in the two cases, which were filed in 2008.

Roberts, of Chelsea, was a DHS Adult Protective Services specialist. She was charged in one case with taking nearly $4,500 from an 84-year-old man.

She had been a temporary guardian for the man after a court decided that he lacked the mental capacity to consent to necessary protective services. As his guardian, Roberts had the authority to use his money to pay for residential care and daily living expenses, an investigator's affidavit states.

Prosecutorsmaintain that his nursing home bills went unpaid and that checks signed by Roberts on the man's guardian account were written for cash.

In the other case, Roberts was charged with financially exploiting a 74-year-old mentally disabled man by converting about $5,900 of his money to her own use.

She had been his temporary guardian.

Roberts, whose employment with the Department of Human Services began in August 2004, was suspended from her duties in June 2008.

She was discharged from DHS in November 2008 after an internal investigation.

Roberts has an unresolved exploitation charge in Rogers County.

That charge alleges that she took $900 from a guardianship account — to which she was entrusted on behalf of an incapacitated adult — and converted the money to her own use, records show.

Bill Braun 581-8455
bill.braun@tulsaworld.com By BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Former DHS employee pleads guilty in Tulsa," which was published on 10/5/2009.

	Report Comment Phil Tower, (10/5/2009 1:30:59 PM) She should be assigned to take care of OHP Trooper Martin for life.
	Report Comment beau3985, Tulsa (10/5/2009 1:41:17 PM) LOL.
	Report Comment Ric, Broken Arrow (10/5/2009 1:54:44 PM) No more trip to get your hair colored.
	Report Comment Cooldaddy, Broken Arrow (10/5/2009 2:20:04 PM) What a crook.
	Report Comment Vern, Spiro (10/5/2009 2:31:28 PM) She could work for a collection agency.
	Report Comment RomeosTune, Tulsa (10/5/2009 3:09:02 PM) Wouldn't wanna run into her in a dark alley. Well, maybe better dark than light. :)
	Report Comment M_Sizzle, Tulsa (10/5/2009 3:26:48 PM) She looks mean.
	Report Comment Of The Sea, Tulsa (10/5/2009 3:42:14 PM) What a hag.
	Report Comment kittyk, (10/5/2009 3:59:46 PM) HOW SAD THAT SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE TRUSTED WOULD DO SUCH A THING.
	Report Comment copperhead, (10/5/2009 4:03:51 PM) The court should make an example of Miss Thief, a day for each dollar she stole, but more likely is probation with restitution, unfortunately the norm these days.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (10/5/2009 4:29:26 PM) Sad. Elderly and mentally disabled have no choice but to trust other people to help care for them. Turns out to be someone that isn't trustworthy.
	Report Comment Centrist, the burbs (10/5/2009 4:40:24 PM) Throw the book at her! Anyone that would take advantage of the elderly or infirm are disgusting!
	Report Comment lucky girl, mine (10/5/2009 4:55:36 PM) That is so sad that people take advantage of the elderly.....loser!
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (10/5/2009 5:39:39 PM) This is a classic financial crime. She needs to make full restitution and make her victims whole again. Jailing her for an extended period of time will do nothing to restore the financial security or loss to those people. I would much prefer to have my financial resources returned than to see her locked up with no possibility of being made whole again.
	Report Comment DirtyWhiteHouse, (10/5/2009 5:47:40 PM) "financially exploiting vulnerable adults"??? seems like hospitals and doctors do this daily. we had a problem with a doctor at a hospital and one of the nurses who hated that doctor referred us to the following website. sure did open our eyes to what we referred to as: legally sanctioned elder abuse and getting doctored to death by bilking medicare and private insurance. theangrypatient dot com
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, Small Country Town State Line (10/5/2009 6:07:39 PM) Talk about friends in low places.the elderly and mentally disabled sure dont need help like hers. I hope they disable her for several years.what she did is disgusting it is like staeling from a baby.she is one sad excuse for a human.
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, Small Country Town State Line (10/5/2009 6:09:30 PM) It is like stealing from a baby.she is one sad excuse for a human being.
	Report Comment Bill Strader, (10/5/2009 8:37:31 PM) Typical DHS employee is anyone surprised? She could probably do a better job running the dhs than the people who are now trying without success.
	Report Comment kyote, (10/5/2009 8:40:38 PM) Too bad write in canidates are illegal in okiehoma, I think she would make a good mayor for tulsa, at least she admits she took money, will kitty?
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (10/5/2009 8:57:46 PM) Wow....I'd hate to meet her in a dark alley. Sofie Dog is shaking she is so scared.
	Report Comment Not Roses, Rotten Egg Award (10/5/2009 10:28:48 PM) This person definitely has earned the "rotten egg award". Her actions stink to high heaven.
	Report Comment fostermom, (10/5/2009 11:09:43 PM) Did she seriously think that she was going to get away with this when the nursing home bill went unpaid?
	Report Comment Avid Book Worm , (10/6/2009 1:02:32 AM) What a loser.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (10/6/2009 1:18:15 AM) I throughly agree. But don't jail her. Maker her pay back every cent. Put her under a 15 year probation to ensure she either pays back every penny or she takes a long vacation from society.
	Report Comment Centrist, the burbs (10/6/2009 1:38:37 AM) Make her clean bed pans at a nursing home for the next 15 years.

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