Former Zearing Health Care employee is accused of stealing nearly $30K from residents

A former Zearing Health Care employee was arrested recently for allegedly stealing nearly $28,000 from elderly patients.

Bambi Ann Cerka, 44, was apprehended Saturday, March 2, and remains in the custody of the Story County Jail for several counts of theft, including first-degree theft against an older individual, second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft, three counts of dependent adult abuse and an additional count of dependent adult abuse.

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Residents repeatedly lost money over a one-year span

The Zearing Health Care Center reported financial irregularities in a resident's bank account in August 2023, according to court documents. The manager provided information linking a Social Service Designee employee to the activity, which the health care center identified as Cerka.

Cerka was allowed access to personal information for Zearing Health Care Center patients as part of her job duties, court documents said.

A thorough investigation uncovered four financial victims, all residents of the Zearing Health Care Center. The four victims lost just under $28,000 in a 13-month span from July 2022 to August 2023, according to the press release.

Cerka allegedly created personal accounts under her control and redirected IPERS and Social Security deposits from one victim's account to her own.

That victim's loss is about $23,500.

Cerka allegedly made unauthorized transactions from the other three victims' accounts as well, totaling about $4,500.

In a non-custodial interview, according to court documents, Cerka admitted to creating fake email accounts and a false PayPal account in which she admitted to making "purchases for personal gain" at work (the Zearing Health Care Center) and at home.

Cerka was suspended from working at the center when the investigation began.

She is being held in jail on a bond of $50,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Monday, March 11.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Former Zearing Health Care employee arrested for stealing money from patients