Normally when there’s a negative story about employees at nurse homes or assisted living centers it involves the neglect or mistreatment of elderly clients living there. A recent case in the Midwest is less personal in approach, but equally nefarious. According to The Washington Times, a former information systems director for a company with assisted living centers in Kansas and Missouri faces sentencing after stealing more than $1.2 million from them.

Residential and nursing care homes tend to differ from assisted living homes in that they provide around the clock care for those that otherwise cannot take care of themselves. Assisted living centers on the other hand usually house elderly people that while they need occasional help with certain aspects of life they can generally take care of themselves.

Brent Shryock and his wife, Lori, both pleaded guilty to mail fraud and face federal sentencing. Allegedly, while Brent was working as an information systems director for Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, a company with multiple assisted living facilities, he stole over a million dollars through his role in charge of purchasing equipment.

Prosecutors believe that the scheme started in November of 2007, when the couple created four fake companies and began submitting fraudulent invoices for computers, telephones, and other electronic equipment. One of the companies they named LGR Technology, or Let’s Get Rich Technology. They weren’t caught until 2013.

There are approximately 16,100 nursing care homes in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Up until 2002 they were known just as nursing homes, but have since carried the care term.

With thousands of Baby Boomers turning 65 every day in this country, the assisted living and nurse care industry is expected to keep growing. Hopefully as they do they will continue to update and improve security measures to prevent situations like this from occurring in the future.