Wichita home health worker who stole from elderly clients sentenced to probation

A Kansas woman who was convicted of stealing from elderly clients while working in home health care has been ordered to pay $89,000 in restitution.

Dawn Becker was placed on five years probation after she was convicted of six felonies in Sedgwick County District Court, District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release. The 33-year-old Becker, who now lives in Reno County, committed the crimes while working for three different home health companies in Wichita.

Becker stole from elderly clients between August 2017 and April 2018, Bennett said. The charges alleged that she stole property, including jewelry, and financial cards from patients.

Becker had no prior felonies on her record and was placed on probation. She could serve 98 months, or just over eight years, in state prison if she violates the terms of her probation, which include regular payments on $89,000 in restitution. A judge also ordered Becker to not work as a home health care worker or at a nursing home, Bennett said.

One of the victims died during the Wichita police investigation into Becker’s illegal financial transactions, a detective wrote in court documents. The woman was terminally ill with cancer, used a wheelchair and required in-home hospice care.

The detective wrote in the affidavit that Becker used the woman’s card 12 times at Dillons stores for a total loss of just under $9,000.

In another case, Becker took the debit card of two victims from their home without their permission and used the card at ATMs and other locations, a police detective wrote. She used the debit card primarily at Dillons, sometimes charging over $600 to the card in a single transaction.

“Becker stated during the sentencing hearing that she was having financial difficulties and pawned the stolen items or used her clients’ financial cards to get money,” the district attorney’s office said.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 5:45 PM.