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By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The caregiver of a bedridden Centralia woman is accused of taking her client’s credit card and running up more than $10,000 in purchases and cash advances before getting caught, returning the card and apologizing.
Tamara A. Hagerman, 44, of Pe Ell, told a detective when she gave the card back, she told the woman and the woman’s husband she would pay the money back, according to court papers.
They called police the following day.
Hagerman is charged in Lewis County Superior Court with first-degree theft as well as three counts of unlawful factoring of credit card or payment card transactions.
She was summonsed to appear before a judge yesterday afternoon and signed a $5,000 unsecured appearance bond. Her arraignment is set for next Thursday.
According to charging documents, Hagerman began working for Debra Zillmer in July of last year, and helped with the bills and writing out checks because of Zillmer’s difficulty with fine motor skills.
The Zillmers became aware of the situation when an employee from the Doty store called and asked if someone had permission to use the card on July 1; Hagerman had reportedly told her son to use the blue card from her purse and get her a few things, the documents relate.
Centralia police detective Patty Finch found more than $5,500 in unauthorized charges and more than $4,700 in cash advances over a five month period, according to the charging documents.
Among the things Hagerman allegedly told detectives was she initially took the card, without permission, because she didn’t have enough gas to get home, but after a few days, put it back because she felt bad taking it.
She allegedly said she took it again, because her daughter needed groceries.
Finch stated in her report Hagerman used the card more than 200 times between February and July. Hagerman said she used it for gas, groceries and clothing.
“She said she didn’t use if (sp) often at first, but began using it more and more the longer she had it,” Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher wrote in charging documents.
Among the spending noted in the allegations were to pay her cell phone bill, to put money on a jail inmate’s phone, to eat fast food, order Netflix and rent movies.
The Zillmers told Centralia police Hagerman was a former caregiver when they reported the theft on July 3. Bruce Zillmer also advised the officer he’d contacted their bank who would send paperwork to sign about the unauthorized charges.
When asked by detective Finch if she had had the means to repay the couple, “Tamara said that her mother offered to pay the money back,” Meagher wrote.
The court yesterday ordered Hagerman to get finger printed and photographed at the Lewis County Jail by 5 p.m. next Wednesday.
Reached by phone, Hagerman declined to comment. She is represented by Centralia lawyer David Brown.