A Rochester woman is accused of stealing more than $150,000 from residents of a local nursing home where she worked, according to the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Letitia James announced the arrest of Tammy Echols, 56, who is charged with second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud. Prosecutors allege Echols stole more than $154,500 from vulnerable residents of St. John’s Home between January 2023 and August 2025.
Investigators with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit said Echols worked as a senior account specialist in the nursing home’s business office. In that role, she handled resident billing and issued refund checks when overpayments were made.
According to investigators, Echols used her position to issue fraudulent refund checks to friends, associates and businesses where she owed money. Authorities said those individuals kept a small fee before sending the remaining funds back to Echols.
The investigation found the stolen money came from funds residents had deposited with the facility to cover their care and other expenses. Some of the fraudulent checks were allegedly issued to a local florist, a bakery, and a construction contractor.
Echols was arrested and arraigned in Rochester City Court. If convicted of the top charge, she faces a sentence of five to 15 years in state prison.
“St. John’s has been fully cooperating with the Attorney General’s Office during its investigation into the alleged actions of a former employee. No residents or families were financially impacted by this situation. St. John’s had the appropriate best practices in place during this time and have since added additional oversight measures to further strengthen our processes. “
The Rochester Police Department assisted in the investigation.
