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Former Nursing Home Worker Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A former nursing home employee accused of stealing $460,000 from residents at an Oakland County facility has admitted to her role in an embezzlement scheme.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Tuesday that 44-year-old Tina Binkley, of Lapeer County, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from vulnerable adults. The felony charge carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence and at least a $50,000 fine.

Binkley has also agreed to pay more than $460,000 in restitution to 136 victims.

"Families deserve to know their precious loved ones in nursing homes are being cared for, not being exploited for personal financial gain," Schuette said in a statement. "I am happy to secure restitution for victims of this case so they and their families can begin to rebuild their lives."

According to the attorney general's office, Binkley stole the money between May 2010 and April 2013 while she was working as the business office manager at Boulevard Health Center in Rochester Hills.

As business office manager, Binkley was authorized to access and manage funds in two separate accounts including: the BHC general account, where facility income was deposited and day-to-day facility expenses were paid; and the Resident Trust Fund account, which contains funds presented to BHC by residents, deposited into the account and held until residents request funds for their incidentals.

Authorities say Binkley transferred residents' overpayments for room and board from the general account into the trust fund account, which she later used for personal expenses.

Binkley is scheduled for sentencing March 2.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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