ZEARING, Iowa — A former Zearing Health Care Center employee has been accused of stealing nearly $28,000 from residents.

In August 2023 the Story County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the Zearing Health Care Center, a nursing home and rehabilitation center, regarding irregularities on a resident’s bank account.

During the investigation it was discovered that 44-year-old Bambi Ann Cerka created personal accounts and redirected IPERS and Social Security deposits totaling about $23,500 from a victim’s account to her own, the sheriff’s office said.

Cerka also used three other victims’ accounts to make unauthorized transactions totaling about $4,500, the sheriff’s office said.

Cerka was booked into the Story County Jail and charged with the following:

• First-degree theft against older individual
• Second-degree theft
• Two counts of third-degree theft
• Three counts of dependent adult abuse, class D felony
• dependent adult abuse, simple misdemeanor