Mokane couple accused of defrauding elderly man, nursing home
MOKANE, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Mokane couple has been charged after they were accused of stealing money from an elderly man by forging checks and fraudulently using gas cards from a nursing home.
Eric Glenn Hollowell, 54, was charged with two counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery, two counts of stealing more than $750 and fraudulent use of a credit/debit card. Lauren Marie Hollowell , 29, was charged with fraudulent use of a credit/debit card and two counts of stealing more than $750.
Both are being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond and both had court appearances on Wednesday. Lauren Hollowell has a counsel status hearing at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 8.
According to the probable cause statement, Callaway Bank contacted the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 1. The bank claimed a 68-year-old man had funds stolen from his account. The bank showed two checks – totaling $3,095 – with handwriting that wasn’t consistent with the victim’s handwriting, the statement says. Eric Hollowell allegedly cashed both checks in the name of another victim without their permission, the statement says.
The bank was able to give the money back to the victim.
On Jan. 25, deputies took a report from Riverview Nursing Center that claimed $4,270.66 was used on a fuel card to buy gas and other items.
On Feb. 27, Eric Hollowell allegedly told deputies that his wife, Lauren, was a former employee at the nursing home and was given permission to use the card, the statement says. He also said he stole checks from the victim at Riverview Nursing Center and cashed the checks using another person’s ID, the statement says. He claimed the second person accidentally left their ID at his house and he used it without their permission, court documents say.
When asked if Laruen Hollowell stole the checks, Eric Hollowell allegedly told law enforcement, “I’m built for this, she is not.”
Laruen Hollowell allegedly denied taking the checks, but did say she worked for Riverview Nursing Center for 2½ years before she was fired, court documents say.
