THOMASVILLE — A former Ochlocknee resident is charged with stealing $50,000 from a Thomasville woman she served as a caregiver.

Kristie Perkins, 33, Tallahassee, Fla., was released on an $18,000 bond after being charged with nine counts of theft by taking.

“She was handling bills and writing checks,” police Sgt. Melven Johnson said, describing Perkins’ duties for the Fairways Drive resident. “She was making purchases and writing checks.”

The money was discovered missing in October 2008. The thefts took place during a two-year period, said Johnson, assistant commander of the Thomasville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.

The money came from the alleged victim’s checking account.

“This woman (Perkins) had complete control over the account,” Johnson explained. “She was writing checks to herself for services rendered.”

The officer explained that Perkins made out her own paychecks, but wrote them for amounts in excess of her monetary compensation.

Perkins had been living in Ochlocknee, but now has a Tallahassee address.

After looking for the suspect for some time, TPD detectives and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents found her in Tallahassee.

Perkins was asked to come to Thomasville to talk to investigators. “She said she couldn’t,” Johnson said.

Local lawmen went to Tallahassee to interview Perkins and arrested her there. The suspect waived extradition and returned to Georgia.

Perkins made bond, which was set at $2,000 on each theft count, and was released from the Thomas County Jail.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.