Suspect arrested in theft of retired judge’s savings

Police on Thursday arrested a caregiver suspected of bilking a retired Lawrence judge and his wife of more than $115,000.

The arrest of 45-year-old Jolene Harrell of Lawrence came Thursday afternoon after Atty. Gen. Phill Kline’s office filed 22 counts of felony theft and three counts of misdemeanor theft against her in Douglas County District Court.

She’s suspected of stealing from retired judge Charles Rankin, 90, and his wife, Polly, 84, between April 2003 and June 2004 by writing $109,440 in their personal checks to herself and by taking their retirement and Medicare checks.

At the time, the Rankins lived at Brandon Woods Retirement Community, 1501 Inverness Drive, but Harrell isn’t affiliated with Brandon Woods.

Instead, according to a statement by Kline, she had been hired by the couple as an assistant and was charging them $75 per day to help them pay their bills and manage their checking account.

Police identified Harrell through a tip.

It’s the second time in the past two years that a caregiver in Lawrence has been charged with financially abusing a prominent retired couple.

In November 2003, Melody G. McKenzie, 43, Lawrence, was sentenced to jail for fleecing William J. Griffith, former director of Kansas University’s Center of Latin American Studies, and his wife, Shirley Griffith, after McKenzie began work in spring 2001 as the Griffiths’ in-home caregiver.

Harrell is charged with:

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  • Fourteen counts of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft for allegedly writing $109,440.50 to herself from the Rankins’ personal accounts.
  • Eight counts of felony theft for allegedly taking eight of Charles Rankin’s retirement checks.
  • Two counts of misdemeanor theft for allegedly taking two of Polly Rankin’s Medicare checks.

Lawrence police and Dist. Atty. Christine Kenney initially investigated the case, but Kline’s office picked it up because it involved Medicare. Under state law, Kline’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division is charged with prosecuting crimes that involve Medicare or Medicaid, spokesman Whitney Watson said.

Harrell was booked into the Douglas County Jail with bond set at $50,000.