Tewksbury Resident Charged With Theft of $16,000

Laura Siano, 62, of Tewksbury has been charged with stealing more than $16,000 from a 75-year-old resident of the Wakefield nursing home she worked at, according to a release from State Attorney General Martha Coakley. 

A criminal complaint was issued against Siano Wednesday in Malden District Court. 

Siano was the director of nursing at Kirkwood House Nursing Home in Wakefield, and has been charged with one count of larceny over $250.

An investigation in November 2011 by the State Attorney General's Office revealed that more than $16,000 had been misappropriated from the bank account of a resident of Kirkwood House Nursing Home, according to the release. 

Authorities allege Siano was entrusted to manage the resident's bank account, making repeated unauthorized cash withdrawals from the resident’s checking account, typically in amounts of $300-$400.

Siano also used the resident's debit card to make personal purchases such as a laptop, decorative items, cat food and cat litter at stores including Wal-Mart, Christmas Tree Shops and Jo-Ann Fabrics, according to the release. 

According to authorities, no documentation could be provided to confirm whether any of the withdrawals or purchases were made in connection to the resident's needs.

Siano will be arraigned on July 23.