An Iowa nursing home administrator charged with stealing thousands of dollars from an elderly resident has agreed not to practice while a state investigation is pending, according to the Iowa Capital Digest.
Chelsi Ingles, 34, of Tipton, is charged with first-degree theft against an older individual, dependent adult abuse by exploitation, ongoing criminal conduct and tampering with records. The Iowa Capital Digest has reported she has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In the recent Iowa Capital Digest article, prosecutors allege that in December 2023, while serving as administrator of Aspire of Muscatine, Ingles stole two checks belonging to a female resident diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia and epilepsy.
Court records show Ingles cashed one of the resident’s checks for $8,500 and later deposited $3,500 into the resident’s trust account at the facility. About a week later, prosecutors allege, she used a second check to deposit $8,500 into a bank account she had established for herself and the resident. Later that day, she allegedly transferred $8,500 from that account into a separate account she shared with her husband.
In January 2024, during an internal investigation, Aspire officials asked Ingles to return the resident’s money and provide receipts for purchases made with trust account funds. Ingles allegedly returned $3,202 in cash and provided documentation prosecutors say falsely indicated the remaining funds were spent on food, furniture and a television for the resident, the Iowa Capital Digest reported.
State inspection records indicate executives with the Aspire chain acknowledged they failed to notify the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, as required by law, and did not inform law enforcement of the suspected theft.
The Iowa Capital Digest article reveals records show that in 2022, before joining Aspire of Muscatine, Ingles was fired from her position as a public health manager for Cedar County for alleged timecard theft. The county compared her timecards with electronic building-entry data and concluded she claimed pay for hours not worked.
The article continues that Ingles said at the time she sometimes worked irregular hours and completed tasks, such as watching work-related videos, outside normal office hours. An administrative law judge initially denied her unemployment benefits, finding that even if she had permission to work irregular hours, it did not excuse poor record keeping that worked to her advantage. The Employment Appeal Board later reversed that decision, stating Ingles had never been reprimanded or warned about how she recorded her time.
After leaving Aspire of Muscatine, Ingles briefly served as administrator at Addington Place, an assisted living center in Clinton.
In the criminal case, Ingles’ attorney recently obtained a continuance as plea negotiations continue. Prosecutors are seeking $8,523 in restitution, according to the Iowa Capital Digest. A pretrial conference is scheduled for March 13, 2026.
Separately, the Iowa Board of Nursing Home Administrators reached a settlement agreement with Ingles. The board agreed not to pursue formal disciplinary charges until the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing completes its investigation and Ingles has an opportunity to respond.
In the meantime, Ingles has agreed not to practice as a nursing home administrator until further order of the board. Her state license, which expired in December 2025, is listed as suspended.
During Aspire of Muscatine’s most recent annual inspection in May 2025, the facility was cited for 17 regulatory violations, including inadequate quality of care, failure to maintain residents’ nutrition and hydration, inadequate respiratory care, insufficient staffing, and deficiencies in food service and infection control. On the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ five-star rating system, the facility holds one star for overall quality and one star for health inspections, the Iowa Capital Digest reported.
