Baltimore Woman Sentenced for Misappropriating Funds

BALTIMORE, MD (June 27, 2007) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Marilyn St. Louis Walkes, 52, of the 3000 block of Thorndale Avenue in Baltimore was sentenced to six months imprisonment after pleading guilty in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County to Misappropriation by a Fiduciary. Judge Jan Marshall Alexander also ordered Walkes to pay restitution of $6,704.00, serve two years of supervised probation, and to refrain from working in a position where she would have a financial fiduciary relationship with a vulnerable adult.

From May, 2005 through June, 2006, Walkes was a house counselor at a Pikesville group home run by the Arc of Baltimore County, a mental health agency that helps people with developmental disabilities live independently. The victim was a resident at the group home and was responsible for an $838.00 monthly rent payment to the Arc. As part of her responsibilities as house counselor, Walkes was trusted to assist the victim in withdrawing the money from her checking account and then forwarding the money to the Arc to pay her rent. The Arc discovered that on eight occasions, Walkes helped the victim withdraw money from her account but kept the money rather than send the money to the Arc. Once the missing funds were discovered, the Arc contacted the Attorney General’s office who conducted an investigation.

The case was prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Gansler thanked Assistant Attorney General Catherine Pascal for her work on the case.