Monday, March 18, 2024

Former Osceola County Caregiver Charged with Medication Theft


LANSING
– Today, a former caregiver with Reed City Fields, an assisted living facility in Osceola County, was arraigned on one count each of Larceny in a Building and Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 77th District Court in Osceola County, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Walter Herrington III, 43, of Scottville, is alleged to have stolen and possessed pills, sedative Lorazepam (Ativan), prescribed to a deceased facility resident. Both charges are felonies.

“Caregivers provide invaluable services to their patients, but using that position to steal medications is a violation of trust and also a felony that my department will not hesitate to prosecute,” said Nessel. “These are controlled substances for a reason, and we must be able to trust in our caregivers to handle them responsibly and legally.”

Herrington was arrested by special agents of the Attorney General’s office yesterday and arraigned today before Magistrate Daniel E. Clise. He was given a $10,000/10% bond. Herrington will next appear in court on March 28th at 9:15 a.m. for a probable cause conference.

Larceny in a Building is 4-year felony, alternatively punishable by a $5,000 fine, or both. Possession of a Controlled Substance (Lorazepam) is a 2-year felony, alternatively punishable by a $2,000 fine, or both.

The Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) handled this case for the Department. The HCFD is the federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Michigan, and it receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,541,992 for the fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25% percent, totaling $1,847,326 is funded by the State of Michigan.

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Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.

Source:
Former Osceola County Caregiver Charged with Medication Theft

Coral Gables caretaker accused of running up elderly victim’s Amex card

Doris Nieves Ruiz. (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation)

CORAL GABLES, Fla.
– Coral Gables police arrested a 31-year-old woman Monday after she stole an elderly woman’s American Express card and racked up charges on it, authorities said.

According to the suspect’s arrest report, Doris Nieves Ruiz, of Miami, has since been fired as a caretaker at The Palace assisted living facility where the 85-year-old victim lives.

Police said a total of 5,538.13 in fraudulent charges were made on the victim’s card between October and November 2023 at stores such as Publix, Ross, Sedano’s, Target and Home Depot, and restaurants, including Fogo De Chao Steak House, Say Tea and Smile, El Tabo Grill and Malakor Thai.

The victim told police that she did not authorize anyone to use her cards.

According to the arrest report, Nieves Ruiz was taken into custody Monday at her home.

Police said she was transported to the police station, where she agreed to be interviewed and claimed that the victim had given her permission to use the Amex card.

She claimed the victim was forgetful and may not have remembered all of the purchases, the report stated.

Nieves Ruiz was ultimately arrested on charges of using the identification of a government employee or veteran, exploitation of an elderly victim and theft from an elderly person.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Nieves Ruiz remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Full Article & Source:
Coral Gables caretaker accused of running up elderly victim’s Amex card

Caretaker accused of stealing nearly $60,000 from vulnerable Lincoln couple


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A caretaker faces multiple charges after the man she cared for became alarmed by his credit card statements.

Karley Clark, 23, is charged with two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of theft by unlawful taking $5,000+ and second-degree forgery $5,000+.

On July 17, 2023, someone became concerned about two of their family members being financially exploited by a caretaker and called the Lincoln Police Department.

One of the victims, a 91-year-old Lincoln man, noticed multiple unauthorized transactions on his and his wife’s credit cards. The family reported that roughly $50,000 had been taken out in unauthorized purchases.

The victim and his wife lived together at an independent senior living apartment between June of 2022 and February of 2023. During that time, Clark provided care for the couple and fetched them groceries and other items when needed.

During those trips, the victim would provide Clark with one of their credit cards, cash or a check to pay for necessities. Later on in 2023, the victim began seeing larger than normal credit card balances, according to Clark’s arrest affidavit.

An investigation revealed that $20,904.55 had been charged to the victim’s card between Feb. 1, 2023 and July 31, 2023 between 224 unauthorized transactions, police wrote. Court records show his wife’s credit card had been wrongly used 353 times for a total of $31,645.78.

The victims’ banking accounts were also hit. Police think 15 checks were forged for a total of $5,650 in losses.

In total, police think at least $58,200.33 was stolen from the victims over the course of seven months. The cards had been used to purchases thousands of dollars in goods from Target, Lululemon, Amazon, HelloFresh and other shops, according to the affidavit.

A search warrant was later executed at Clark’s home in Hickman, and officers said they seized items that were wrongly purchased with the victims’ cards.

Clark was arrested on Thursday, and she was arraigned hours later. Her next court appearance is set for April 4.

Full Article & Source:
Caretaker accused of stealing nearly $60,000 from vulnerable Lincoln couple

Sunday, March 17, 2024

94-year-old SF woman fighting eviction after 8 decades in same apartment

After real estate investors bought their building, Helen Byrne and her neighbors are at risk of being forced out of their rent-controlled apartments. Hilda Gutierrez reports.

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94-year-old SF woman fighting eviction after 8 decades in same apartment

Senior caregiver convicted of stealing $100K from Placer County veteran client

by: Matthew Nobert


(FOX40.COM) — A senior caregiver in Placer County was convicted on Wednesday of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a veteran with dementia, according to Placer PROTECT.

Placer PROTECT is a county-run task force focused on protecting senior citizens from all forms of elder abuse. 

According to Placer PROTECT, the caregiver stole more than $100,000 from the senior and has left the man in serious financial hardship.

One of the man’s friends said that after losing such a significant amount of money the senior veteran may become “homeless or at the mercy of the state.”

“This is a gentle reminder to everyone – look out for your neighbor. If you see something, say something. Even when a victim does not have the ability to speak out about their abuse, Placer PROTECT will work to hold perpetrators responsible,” the task force wrote in a news release.

Full Article & Source:
Senior caregiver convicted of stealing $100K from Placer County veteran client

Community forms "Mr. Bill's Village" to help blind man get to work

A couple years ago, Christy Conrad saw a man named Bill out walking and offered him a ride. She learned he was legally blind and had to walk hours for his daily commute. Steve Hartman goes "On the Road" to a small southern town where the simple act of giving someone a lift turned into something much more. 

 "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell" delivers the latest news and original reporting, and goes beyond the headlines with context and depth. Catch the CBS Evening News every weekday night at 6:30 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and at 12 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.

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Community forms "Mr. Bill's Village" to help blind man get to work

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Wendy Williams’ guardian claims A+E Networks exploited talk show host in new legal filing

By Vanessa Serna and Eileen Reslen

Wendy Williams’ guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, accused A+E Networks of exploiting the former TV personality in Lifetime’s “Where Is Wendy Williams?” documentary.Lifetime

Wendy Williams’ guardian claimed A+E Networks “shamelessly exploits” the former talk show host in Lifetime’s “Where Is Wendy Williams?” documentary.

Newly unsealed court documents obtained by Page Six reveal Williams’ appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, accused A+E Networks of “humiliating” the media personality by filming her “in an obviously disabled state,” which “cruelly implies” that her “disoriented demeanor is due to substance abuse and intoxication.”

Morrissey alleged that Williams, 59, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal lobe dementia and aphasia in May 2023, was told the two-part series, which aired Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, would paint her “in a positive manner like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

She further claimed that when A+E Networks released the trailer for the documentary on Feb. 2 they benefitted from “unconscionably exploiting [William’s] condition, and perhaps even disclosing her personal and private medical diagnosis, for perceived entertainment value and the prurient interest of television viewers,” per the documents.

“This blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman with a serious medical condition who is beloved by millions within and outside of the African American community is disgusting, and it cannot be allowed,” the filing read.

“We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story,” a spokesperson for A+E Networks tells Page Six.

Morrissey’s lawsuit was originally filed in the New York County Supreme Court on Feb. 20 — after the trailer was dropped — in an attempt to get a judge to order a temporary restraining order against the release of the documentary.

According to the documents, A+E Networks started filming Williams following a signed contract in January 2023.

However, Morrissey argued that Williams lacked the capacity to enter the agreement and sign on to the documentary as an executive producer due to her condition.

She then referenced Williams’ court-ordered guardianship, which she entered in February 2022, adding the former TV host was “incapable of managing her own business and personal affairs,” the documents read.

Morrissey further said Williams nor herself approved of how the media mogul was filmed and portrayed in the trailer and documentary after being told it would serve as a comeback following the cancellation of “The Wendy Williams Show,” which ran from 2008 to 2022.

Morrissey slammed A+E Networks for “unconscionably exploiting [William’s] condition” for the benefit of audience interest when the trailer for the two-part series was released on Feb. 2. Lifetime

Additionally, Williams’ manager for the project, William Selby, claimed he didn’t review A+E Networks’s trailer or the Lifetime documentary, per the documents.

A source close to the matter also questioned who “approved the final product, if not Wendy or her guardian,” slamming A+E Networks for moving forward with the project given Willams’ condition.

“Anyone with eyes could see that something was very wrong with Wendy,” a source told Page Six. “The producers knew or should have known that Wendy was suffering from dementia during filming.

“They certainly knew that she suffered from dementia before they aired the docuseries because it was announced by press release.”

The source furthered, “Wendy did not consent to this docuseries. She was not shown and did not approve the footage.” 

The “Where Is Wendy Williams?” documentary showed Williams constantly drinking despite her known issues with alcohol abuse, crying over the details of her finances and becoming irritable with those around her.

Her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., also appeared in the series, claiming his mother’s dementia diagnosis is due to her alcoholism.

Morrissey claimed A+E Networks didn’t get her approval on the content added in the trailer or the documentary. Lifetime

“[Doctors] basically said that because she was drinking so much, it was starting to affect her headspace and her brain,” the 23-year-old alleged. “So, I think they said it was alcohol-induced dementia.”

While Morrisey proved to have an issue with the series, Williams’ family thinks otherwise.

Last month, Alex Finnie — Williams’ niece — allegedly claimed her aunt told her family “now is the perfect time” to do the documentary so she could take “ownership” of her story.

“That conversation [about her wanting to do the doc] was crystal clear,” Finnie told ABC News.

Finnie further said her family wanted the media to shed a spotlight on Williams’ guardianship, claiming they’ve been pushed out of her life.

“Family was shut out,” she explained. “Her guardian has not released that information [pertaining to where Williams is] to us. I haven’t seen her in about nine months.”

Williams’ relatives allegedly don’t know the TV star’s whereabouts despite her occasionally talking to them on the phone.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams’ guardian claims A+E Networks exploited talk show host in new legal filing

See Also:
Wendy Williams Owes $568,000 In Unpaid Taxes Amid Conservatorship, Health Crisis

Wendy Williams’ guardianship case highlights the need for reforms

Wendy Williams' Guardian Caught in $5.5 Million Fraud Scheme Amid Star's Health Revelations

Lifetime's 'The Bad Guardian' Stars Melissa Joan Hart in a Tale of Guardianship Gone Wrong

‘Bad Guardian’: Lifetime to Tackle Guardianship Debate With Melissa Joan Hart, La La Anthony

Wendy Williams' financial guardianship raises 'red flags' after adviser attempted to block documentary: expert

Wendy Williams top 5 documentary bombshells

Inside Wendy Williams' Family's Fight to Free Her from Her Guardianship: 'This System Is Broken' (Exclusive)

Wendy Williams diagnosed with aphasia, frontotemporal dementia: What to know ahead of documentary release

Wendy Williams Seen for First Time in a Year in Devastating Lifetime Documentary Trailer

What's happening with Wendy Williams? From talk show no-show to 'incapacitated person'

 
 

SHOCK CLAIMS Wendy Williams’ bank calls her an ‘incapacitated person’ who is possible ‘victim of financial exploitation’ in lawsuit

Wendy Williams had to be told several times her show had been canceled, execs say

Wendy Williams’ Ex Sells House Amid Big Money Troubles

'Gentleman' Senior Dog in Shelter for 2 Years Finds Ideal Adopter in Fellow Senior Citizen (Exclusive)

"He just bloomed," pet parent Jeanette says of how Velcro, a senior dog with special needs, reacted to being adopted 

by Kelli Bender


  • Velcro, originally named Beluga, arrived at Austin Pets Alive! in 2022 and spent over 700 days at the Texas rescue
  • The 10-year-old dog has special needs, which made it harder to find the right adopter until Velcro met Jeanette
  • Jeanette, a 74-year-old woman, has committed herself to spoiling Velcro since bringing the senior dog home

After two years of waiting in the shelter for his perfect match, Velcro the senior dog found his soulmate in a fellow senior citizen.

Beluga, now renamed Velcro, arrived at Austin Pets Alive! (APA) in 2022 and started his search for a forever family. The Carolina dog mix has special needs: He is partially deaf and partially blind and has neurological and mobility issues.

Because of these special needs, Velcro required a home with certain specifications — calm, slow-paced, ideally one story — which unfortunately extended his stay at the Texas shelter.

But then, in February, Jeanette walked in. Jeanette, who is turning 75 in April, was searching for a docile, loving companion after the death of her two dogs in December. The animal lover initially visited the shelter to meet a different dog, but then she saw 10-year-old Velcro.

"He has a neurological issue, so his head kind of tilts to the side, and he looked like, 'Oh, look at poor, little me.' So I said, 'Okay, I have to see him,'" Jeanette tells PEOPLE.

"He was reserved at first, but as soon as he came out with me, he changed," she adds. 


After spending time with Velcro, Jeanette felt the dog was meant for her. The dog's special needs only made her want him more.

"I wanted a dog that was more placid, and Velcro fit that bill. He can't jump up; his back legs are weak. He can't hump, which is another plus in a male dog," Jeanette shares. 

Shortly after meeting Velcro, Jeanette brought the dog home and started the foster-to-adopt process, which allows the shelter and the foster to help the pet acclimate to their new home by providing at-home behavior consults and lifelong adoption support. 


After a few days with Jeanette, Velcro "became more personable." He still acted like "a sedate old gentleman" but also "perked up."

Now, "he trots around in the backyard," Jeanette says, a behavior APA never saw from the dog during his two-year stay.

"He's just bloomed," the pet parent adds.

APA posted an Instagram video documenting Velcro's transformation. In the clip, the formerly shy and slow-moving dog happily prances after Jeanette as the pair trots around a backyard.


Since welcoming Velcro, Jeanette has committed herself to "spoiling the dog wild."

Velcro has large dog beds scattered throughout his new home, so there is always a place to sunbathe. Jeanette showers him with pats, praise, and Pup-Peroni treats — Velcro's favorite. The dog also joins Jeanette on leisurely walks outside.

"I'm not that spry myself, but it gives me a reason to get out in the fresh air and walk in the woods," Jeanette shares, adding, "We don't walk; we stroll." 

When Jeanette and Velcro aren't strolling side-by-side, they can still be found together.

"He's never more than two feet from my side. That's why I renamed him Velcro. If I get up, he gets up. Wherever I go, he follows me. If I'm up and moving, he's up and moving with me," Jeanette says.

She adds that her home "has always been owned and operated solely for the pleasure and convenience of dogs" because the pets give "so much love." 


Jeanette hopes her adoption story with Velcro inspires others, especially senior citizens, to consider senior pets.

"I hate to see these older dogs passed over," she says, "Velcro is just so happy to be out of that shelter."

"It's nice for seniors to have a senior dog because you don't have to try and keep up with them. And it's companionship," Jeanette adds.

Of course, adopting an older pet means you will likely have to say goodbye to them sooner than a younger animal.

"You have to be prepared for that. But if you can handle the loss, the joy of having them is more than worth it," Jeanette says.

Full Article & Source:
'Gentleman' Senior Dog in Shelter for 2 Years Finds Ideal Adopter in Fellow Senior Citizen (Exclusive)