Former employee of facility for disabled arrested over suspected theft from resident’s bank account

By Barrier Free Japan with extracts from The Sankei Shimbun

April 4 2022

AICHI – On 4th April, a part-time worker at Okumachi Kyokumae, Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of theft by the Aichi Prefectural Police, Inazawa Station for stealing a total of 400,000 yen in cash using cash cards obtained illegally from residents of a group home for disabled people where she used to work. The suspects who aged 37 and 54 and are unemployed were arrested. Both denied the charges, saying they were only asked to withdraw money for the residents.

The suspects were arrested on 11 December last year for using an illegally obtained cash card to withdraw money from an ATM in Inazawa City. The accused allegedly used the money to withdraw 200,000 yen and stole it. They also allegedly used the same card to withdraw 200,000 yen at an ATM in Aisai City, Aisai Prefecture, on the 12th of the same month.

According to the police, the PIN is believed to have been obtained by one of the suspects from a resident, and this was discovered after consultation with the parents of one of the residents.