Ex-home health care worker in Berks accused of stealing from 5 clients for online betting and shopping

A Reading man who worked for a Spring Township home health care agency is accused of making or attempting more than $35,000 in fraudulent online purchases, including nearly 300 wagers placed on sports-betting sites, using the information from the credit cards of five clients he served.

Jaheim Davis, 22, of the 200 block of South Fifth Street was arrested Tuesday on access device fraud charges. He was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail to await a hearing following arraignment before District Judge Tonya A. Butler in Reading Central Court.

Spring Township police said the fraud occurred between October and March while Davis worked from GHG Home Care’s location on Quarry Drive.

According to the probable cause affidavit:

Township Detective Cory Huntsinger was assigned to investigate a complaint from a township resident who said her newly issued Diamond Credit Union debit card was compromised. She said it had never left her purse since being issued a day earlier.

There were charges on the card from BetMGM, Walmart.com and other entities, as well as numerous attempted purchases.

The woman also noticed $150 was missing from her purse.

The only person in her apartment other than her husband was Davis, her husband’s home health aid.

Huntsinger contacted GHG Home Care, where Davis was employed. Meanwhile, he learned of additional victims involving Davis.

When he spoke to a GHG official, he was told of two other clients whose credit cards were compromised. That couple reported their Riverfront Credit Union debit cards were used for online gambling with DraftKINGS as well as purchases or attempted purchases on Walmart.com between December and January. During the same time items went missing in their home, and the only person in their residence during that time was Davis.

Two more victims, a father and his son who acted on his behalf, reported all of their credit cards were compromised during the time Davis worked with them. There were unauthorized ATM withdrawals, Cash App transfers, online bets and multiple attempts to make online purchases from stores.

Huntsinger obtained search warrants for an internet provider to review yjr transactions made through BetMGM and DraftKINGS.

There were a total of 288 transactions attempted or approved with those two companies, with the bets totaling $58,084. The highest bet attempted was $10,000.

There were $19,000 in betting transactions listed as declined and about $34,000 placed under fraud review.

Fraud prevention procedures, including an invalid fingerprint, prevented the bulk of the transactions on the gambling sites and online retailers’ sites from going through.

Still, there’s an electronic record for every attempted transaction, Huntsinger explained.

The five victims identified in Huntsinger’s investigation incurred a loss totaling just $750, though the amount in aborted thefts surpassed $40,000.

Huntsinger said he’s investigating several associates with whom Davis shared his clients’ credit card information so they in turn could try to make online purchases and withdrawals at various institutions.