Zearing woman must pay healthcare facility $19K in theft case

A former Zearing Health Care employee, Bambi Ann Cerka, pled guilty to stealing large sums of money from elderly patients. She was ordered to repay $19,000 but will not serve additional jail time. Cerka, 44, was arrested on March 2 for stealing $26,900 from four patients over the course of a year while working at Zearing Health Care. During a hearing on June 24, all but 90 days of a 35-year prison sentence were suspended, and Cerka was given credit for time served.

The court mandated that Cerka pay $19,509 in restitution to the Zearing Health Care Center. Initially pleading not guilty, Cerka changed her plea to guilty in May to charges including first-degree theft against an older individual, two counts of dependent adult abuse, and one count of third-degree theft. The financial irregularities were reported by the Zearing Health Care Center in August 2023, leading to an investigation that revealed four victims who had lost nearly $27,000 over 13 months from July 2022 to August 2023.

Cerka had access to personal information of Zearing Health Care Center patients as part of her job duties. She created personal accounts under her control and redirected funds from one victim’s account to her own, resulting in a $23,500 loss. Unauthorized transactions were also made from the accounts of the other three victims, totaling around $4,500. Cerka admitted to creating fake email accounts and a false PayPal account to make personal purchases using the victims’ funds.

In total, Cerka was ordered to repay $19,509 in restitution and will not face additional jail time. Celia Brocker is a reporter covering government, crime, politics, and education for the Ames Tribune and can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.