𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬

𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒓: 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒂𝒘. 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅, 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒔.

According to a probable cause statement filed in Cole County, investigators with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Office of Special Investigations reviewed allegations involving Amy Lavern Shoup and a victim confined to a nursing home. Shoup had durable power of attorney over the victim and had sole control of the victim’s bank account. Investigators reported that Shoup was expected to pay the victim’s nursing home bill. The nursing home where the victim was confined was sold in November 2025. Investigators reported that Shoup owed the prior nursing home $67,000 and had an outstanding balance of $16,000 to the new nursing home. The statement says attempts to collect payment had been made, but Shoup had only made sporadic payments.

During a face-to-face interview, the victim told investigators that permission was never given to Shoup to use the victim’s money for anything other than the victim’s care. The victim stated they had not seen their debit card or identification card since being admitted to the nursing home. The victim said Shoup had possession of the debit card and identification card during the entire time the victim had been living in the nursing home.

Investigators reviewed the victim’s bank records and reported finding numerous transactions at various locations while the victim was confined to the nursing home and did not have possession of the debit card. According to the probable cause statement, $82,594.91 was withdrawn from the victim’s account. Investigators reported that $30,100 was paid to the nursing home, while $52,494.91 was used by Shoup for her own benefit.

During a face-to-face interview, Shoup admitted she had durable power of attorney over the victim and used the victim’s funds to help pay her own bills. Investigators reported that Shoup also admitted she did not pay the nursing home bill where the victim was living, despite her fiduciary responsibility as durable power of attorney.

The investigator stated that Shoup was believed to be a flight risk because she had control of the victim’s bank account and had knowledge of the investigation. The investigator also stated that Shoup had shown a lack of care for the victim and the victim’s needs.

Shoup is now charged with financial exploitation of an elderly/disabled person and misappropriation of funds of an elderly nursing home resident.

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=26AC-CR01256&inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#docket