A Putnam County woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 from 13 different disabled adults, according to an announcement by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday.
Tammi Marie Carnes, owner of the former Palatka-based O'Carroll Homes Inc., a business that provided group homes for disabled adults, allegedly stole the money from her residents.
According to the investigation, Carnes used the stolen funds for personal expenses, including gift cards and credit cards.
"Stealing money from people with disabilities is not only morally reprehensible, but it is also illegal," Bondi said in a press release.
The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrested Carnes, with assistance from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
She faces 14 charges in connection to the arrest, including one count of organized scheme to defraud -- a second-degree felony -- and thirteen counts of exploitation of a disabled adult -- third degree felonies.
If convicted, Carnes could face up to 80 years in prison and $75,000 in fines.
O'Carroll Homes Inc. was closed in April 2011 by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.