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| The former executive director of StoryPoint Collierville, an upscale senior living community, faces new accusations of exploiting the elderly in his care. |
By Joyce Peterson and Lydian Coombs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A new car, wads of cash, and gifts galore.
The former executive director of StoryPoint Collierville, an upscale senior living community, faces new accusations of exploiting the elderly in his care for his benefit. 57-year-old Timothy Johnson was arrested in December and charged with theft of over $10,000 and aggravated burglary after Collierville police say he stole items from residents’ rooms.
Now, he faces a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging he swindled another resident out of more than half a million dollars.
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Inside the impressive-looking StoryPoint Collierville Independent and Enhanced Living Facility at 691 South Byhalia Road, consumer protection attorney Kevin Snider says something ugly lurks.
“People need to know about this,” he warned, “because something’s not right out there.“
Snider sued StoryPoint last year after the company illegally took thousands of dollars out of his bank account and made unauthorized withdrawals from his mother’s bank account.
He also sued them for fraud and violating the Consumer Protection Act when he learned they falsely claimed to be a licensed assisted living facility.
His 84-year-old mother, Charlotte, had been a resident there for about three years. Her care, he said, was less than ideal.
“We found literally hundreds, if not thousands of pills scattered throughout the kitchen cabinets,” Snider told Action News 5, “and they were dated back days, sometimes weeks, sometimes months.“
The judge ordered StoryPoint to pay Snider $25,000.
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Two days later, he saw Johnson’s mugshot on the news, stunned to learn the former executive director of StoryPoint Collierville was charged with stealing items from residents’ rooms.
“It continued from there,” said Snider, “because that’s not even the end of it.“
Snider filed a $5.5 million civil lawsuit on Tuesday, February 3, accusing Johnson of gaining the trust of an elderly resident, Marvin Ford, then milking him for gifts, money and a new car. The trustee of Ford’s estate had reached out to Snider, concerned about a series of events.
The suit alleges 25 checks were written to Johnson, totalling about $20,000, along with cash withdrawals of roughly $25,000.
The complaint says another $20,000 disappeared from a locked safe in Ford’s apartment.
Johnson also received a new Toyota Corolla from Ford worth $40,000, and he wound up in Ford’s trust, inheriting $435,000 after Ford passed away in January 2025.
“So it begs the question, what’s really going on out there?” said Snider, “How big is this? Were there other people involved? You know, was corporate involved for that matter? I mean, who knows? They obviously don’t care. They obviously don’t exercise oversight over it.“
Snider points to an email attached to the lawsuit in which the trustee of Ford’s estate asked StoryPoint if managers should be named in residents’ wills or trusts.
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The reply from the company’s Customer Insights and Reputation Marketing manager was: “I don’t see an issue with that.”
Snider’s mother is now in hospice. He’s handling the stress and emotional toll of that while focusing on finding out the truth about what went on inside StoryPoint Collierville.
“I’ve seen some horrible things that companies and people do to consumers,” said Snider, “but this is by far the worst. You’re doing it to the most fragile people at the end of their lives.”
Action News 5 called StoryPoint representatives multiple times Wednesday and reached out via email for a statement and heard nothing back.
Collierville police say the investigation into Johnson’s alleged thefts from residents has not yet concluded.
Full Article & Source:
$5.5 million lawsuit alleges elder exploitation at Collierville facility
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