A 32-year-old St. Joseph caregiver pleaded guilty Friday to charges she stole a patient’s credit card and used it to pay her water bill.

Ashley Garr pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property.

As we reported, Garr was accused in March of using an 86-year-old woman’s credit card information to pay for her own Missouri American Water Bill, totaling more than $1,000.  In court Friday, Garr told Circuit Judge Patrick Robb that she found the card on the floor, took it, and used it.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Bachman said the victim had loss protection on the card, so she lost nothing.  But the bank is still owed the money.  Judge Robb said he would be “impressed” if Garr had that paid off before sentencing, now scheduled August 14 at 2 pm.  Garr will also owe more than $300 in court costs.

The crime occurred in December of last year, before the General Assembly consolidated the sentencing rules in Missouri, and increased some of the penalties.  Receiving stolen property is a class-c felony, which in this case carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.