Man accused of stealing $24K from woman in medical facility

Wayne County sheriff's investigators say that a Dudley man forged more than 60 checks against the bank account of a woman in long-term medical care.

Deputies arrested Thomas Woodrow Rice Sr., 50, of 303 Waldrop Road, on 28 charges of forgery of an instrument, uttering a forged instrument and obtaining property by false pretenses. He was being held in the Wayne County Jail Tuesday under a $100,000 secured bond.

Investigators said that Rice began writing checks against a bank account belonging to Janice Jeffries after she entered long-term medical care in August 2008. Approximately $24,000 was stolen from her and spent on registering Rice's vehicles, his power bills, buying a vehicle and other cash purchases, investigators said.

Adult Protective Services supervisors alerted the sheriff's office about the case.

According to the state Department of Correction records, Rice has a lengthy criminal record dating from 1976. He has numerous convictions for forgery, passing worthless checks and larceny.