The investigation into Ruth Hook began in Oct. 2014 when the family of her recently deceased patient reported the theft of jewelry, authorities have said.
Ruth Hook NEWTON -- A former health aide worker who stole about $99,000 from a former patient over several years was sentenced to a year under house arrest and four years probation, authorities said.
The investigation into Ruth K. Hook, now 42, of Lafayette, began in October 2014 when State Police began investigating the theft of jewelry from the Stillwater residence of her former patient two months after her death death.
Hook was identified as a suspect, and, as the investigation continued, the resident's family found more fraudulent activity on various financial statements, State Police previously said.
Hook was charged in May 2015 with second-degree computer criminal activity, second-degree theft, third-degree fraudulent use of a credit card, and fourth-degree credit card theft.
She pleaded guilty June 29 to a single charge of third-degree theft, and admitted to making about $99,000 in purchases over the course of several years using her former patient's debit and credit cards, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.
Hook was sentenced Sept. 30 to four years probation on the condition she complete a year in Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. The court, however, allowed her to serve her jail sentence through the in-home detention program.
As part of her sentence, she must pay $46,000 in restitution, undergo a mental health evaluation and follow all recommendations, submit a DNA sample, complete 200 hours of community service, write a 500 word letter of apology to the victim's family, have no contact with the victim's family and pay $155 in court fees.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.