Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced a Lee County woman has been arrested for stealing from three disabled adults under her care. Laura Coburn, the former assistant manager at Eden Florida group home, was arrested Saturday by law enforcement officers with Cape Coral Police Department.

The arrest resulted from an investigation by the Attorney General’s

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s Patient Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

(PANE) team. Coburn, 48, withdrew a total of $820 from the bank accounts

of three mentally disabled residents. Coburn then used the money for

personal expenses rather than for the residents’ living expenses and

necessities. Eden Florida group home reported the thefts and cooperated

with authorities during the investigation.

Coburn has been charged with four counts of exploitation, all third-degree

felonies. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and up to

$10,000 in fines for each count. The case will be prosecuted by the State

Attorney’s Office for the 20th Judicial Circuit.

The Attorney General’s PANE Project plays a key role in detecting abuse,

neglect and financial exploitation of elderly and disabled patients, helping to ensure that efficient and effective health care is being provided.

Source: The office of Attorney General Bill McCollum