A 29-year-old Live Oak woman, Chelsea Ann Hester, has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after an investigation revealed she exploited a 68-year-old resident while working as a receptionist at Lake Montgomery Health and Rehabilitation Center.
On Monday, April 7, 2025, the Lake City Police Department responded to the facility regarding a reported theft. Their investigation determined that on April 4, 2025, Hester, who was responsible for the facility’s “Daily Cash Box,” fraudulently obtained $55 from a resident’s account.
According to established procedure, when a resident requests funds, a withdrawal receipt must be completed with the resident’s account information and signed by both the authorized employee and the resident. In this instance, Hester completed the receipt and signed her own name, but instead of obtaining the resident’s signature, she forged a name and kept the cash.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Hester placing the money and the falsified receipt in an envelope, storing it in her desk drawer, and then concealing the envelope in her purse before leaving the facility without giving the money to the resident or returning it to the cash box. The nursing facility has since reimbursed the resident and requested that criminal charges be filed against Hester.
Chief of Police Gerald Butler emphasized the gravity of such crimes, stating, “Crimes targeting our elderly population are especially egregious. These individuals deserve dignity, protection, and trust—especially in places designed to care for them. The Lake City Police Department is committed to holding offenders accountable and ensuring our most vulnerable residents are safe from exploitation.”
Chelsea Ann Hester was taken into custody by Suwannee County deputies on April 27th and is charged with Exploitation of a Person 60 or Older, Fraudulent Use of ID of Person 60 or Older, and Counterfeiting of a Public Record or Certificate.
Anyone with information on any crime can contact the Lake City Police Department at 386-752-4343 or report information anonymously through the LCPD TIPS line at 386-719-2068 or Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099.
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