FORT WALTON BEACH — Horizons of Okaloosa County’s residential services director is in Okaloosa County Jail on $25,000 bond after being arrested for stealing from 24 disabled group home clients, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
Linda Faye Walker-Hall, 64, of Navarre, turned herself in Thursday and was charged with exploiting elderly/disabled adults and grand theft. Investigators found that Walker-Hall received 16 checks totaling $43,677.16 from January 2012 and April 2013. About $22,804.16 of that amount was unaccounted for, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Each month, Walker-Hall received one check containing personal allowance money for all 24 clients, according to her arrest report. She was supposed to cash the check and give the money to group home managers to use when clients needed money for medical co-pays, outings, toiletries or other items. The funds Walker-Hall listed in monthly spending reports did not match the amount group home managers received, according to her arrest report.
Walker-Hall also kept a cash bag with $2,900 at her home instead of in the organization’s safe as per Horizons’ policy, the arrest report stated.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Horizons supervisor charged with theft from disabled clients