Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation today arrested a Lawrenceburg woman for stealing from the personal funds of patients with mental disabilities she was paid to care for while working for a Columbia nonprofit center after she was indicted by the Maury County grand jury last week.
Rona Bivens, 48, was indicted on three counts of theft under $500, four counts of theft over $500, seven counts of theft over $1,000 and 14 counts of willful exploitation of an adult. The investigation began in February of 2011 after Adult Protective Services sent TBI a referral about allegations against her. Bivens was employed as Division Coordinator by the Impact Center of Columbia from August 2008 until February 2011 and tasked with providing care and assistance to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The center discovered a discrepancy with Bivens’ management of multiple patients’ personal funds. The investigation revealed Bivens stole from more than $20,000 from 14 patients between July of 2009 and February 2011.
Adult Protective Services and the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities also participated in the investigation. Bivens was arrested at her home without incident this morning and booked into the Maury County Jail on $150,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in Maury County Circuit Court on November 5, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.
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