Police say woman stole from residents at assisted living facility
A woman who worked at a Las Vegas assisted living facility has been charged with stealing more than $18,000 from at least three residents, according to court records.
Tami Schlack, 41, who is also known as Tami Friend, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center earlier this month on three counts of stealing over $5,000 from an elderly person, three counts of unlawfully using someone’s personal identity and the theft of between $5,000 and $25,000.
“Residents of assisted living facilities … should expect a level of protection during their stay against victimization from the employees who are entrusted with maintaining their daily care,” an officer wrote in Schlack’s arrest report.
Police said Schlack used personal information of residents without their permission, “resulting in a combined financial loss” of more than $18,000 dating back to December 2021.
The first allegations against Schlack were leveled in June, when a woman told police that she noticed suspicious credit card charges on her late aunt’s bank statements tied to Schlack between Nov. 2021 and early January.
Bank of America told the woman that more than 20 charges were made after her aunt died on Dec. 31, according to police.
The bank had investigated upwards of 76 credit card charges that totaled nearly $7,000, some of which were sent an attorney to represent Schlack’s husband, the report stated. More than 20 of those charges were made after the 81-year-old woman died.
From December to January, police said, Schlack made 35 transactions through Amazon for nearly $4,000.
Authorities had received a similar report about alleged theft within the same assisted living facility in April. A resident reported that she noticed that $4,000 had been sent to Schlack’s husband’s account, while other purchases were made all over the Las Vegas Valley.
Months later, in October, another resident’s daughter reported to police that her mother is missing $12,000 and is staying at the same assisted living facility as the previous victim.
In 2011, records show, Schlack was charged with obtaining money under false pretenses and using the identification of another in Henderson. Details about the allegations were not immediately available. Schlack later agreed to undergo anger management classes, and the charges were dismissed, according to court records.
After her arrest this month, Schlack was questioned by Las Vegas police, and she denied any wrongdoing at the assisted living facility, according to the police report.
Later in the interview, she stated that one of her victims offered to pay for her bills and for various Christmas presents. Schlack also said that after she was fired from the assisted living facility, she would pick up another victim to go shopping as a favor to her and that she was surprised that she was being arrested.
An attorney for Schlack could not be reached for comment. She has posted $50,000 bail and is due in court Jan. 5.
Contact Jimmy Romo at jromo@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0350. Follow @jimi_writes on Twitter.
