Indiana police: Mom, daughter gave patients discounts for cash, kept money

DE MOTTE, Ind. (WISH) — A mother and daughter who worked for a northwestern Indiana dentist have been charged with felony theft, Indiana State Police said Tuesday.

Meagan Baker and her daughter Kayla Baker, both of Chesterton, worked for a dentist’s office that closed in July in Demotte. That’s a town of 4,200 residents in Jasper County, about a 40-minute drive south of Gary.

A news release from state police says detectives interviewed over 40 patients and found either Kayla or Meagan convinced them to pay cash to receive a discount for services at the dental practice.

The doctor told investigators that the cash discount was not a regular practice of the business.

Investigators later learned the cash was not deposited into the dental practice’s bank account, and records about cash payments were deleted in the dental practice’s computer system.

“The investigation also revealed several thousands of dollars in cash had been deposited into Kayla Baker’s bank accounts,” the release said.

The women face multiple felony charges including theft, corrupt business influence, and fraud, online court records show. No hearing dates have been set in the Bakers’ cases. It was unclear Wednesday if the Bakers have been arrested, as online court records only showed arrest warrants issued.

As suggested in the state police release, News 8 reached out Tuesday to the Jasper County jail via email for the booking photos of the mother and daughter. The jail had not replied as of Wednesday afternoon.