The former manager of multiple group homes for disabled adults in Blair was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in jail and three years of probation for the financial exploitation of multiple clients.
Beth Yeates, 32, of Council Bluffs, pleaded no contest earlier this year in Washington County to one count of felony abuse of a vulnerable adult. She initially faced seven counts, but six were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Yeates was ordered to spend each August of the next three years in the Washington County Jail, amounting to a 90-day jail sentence. In addition to the three years of probation, she was also ordered to pay more than $16,800 in restitution and write letters of apology to her former clients.
According to an arrest affidavit, Yeates began working in a manager role at Duet, a Nebraska developmental disability service provider that offers day, residential and in-home care, in 2019. Duet first reported concerns about Yeates to Adult Protective Services in February 2021, one month after Yeates was fired from the organization.
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Duet noticed discrepancies in the bank accounts of seven clients, all of whom resided in group homes in Blair that were managed by Yeates, according to the affidavit.
According to a press release from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted the case, Yeates would use her credit card to place orders for various goods — like a new wheelchair, a cabinet, or a PlayStation 5 gaming system — intended for the group home residents. She would then be reimbursed with money from the residents’ accounts.
After Yeates was reimbursed, she would cancel the orders and pocket the money. When the residents or their parents would ask about the whereabouts of the items, Yeates would often blame the delay on the pandemic, according to the affidavit.
From March 2019 to January 2021, Yeates stole a total of $16,872 from seven group home residents, according to court documents. In three cases, she took $3,900 or more from the residents’ bank accounts over several months.
After a lengthy investigation, Yeates was charged in February of this year with the seven felony counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult. She accepted a plea deal in May.
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