We Found New York’s Guardianship System in Shambles. Now State Lawmakers Say They Have a Plan to Help Fix It.

Two years after ProPublica first documented the state’s dire shortage of guardians — and the substandard care some provide — lawmakers are pitching a $15 million-per-year fix. It’s unclear whether the law has the governor’s support.

by Jake Pearson 

New York state lawmakers have introduced legislation to boost spending on the state’s troubled guardianship system by $15 million a year — an unprecedented cash infusion for a bureaucracy that has long struggled to care for the tens of thousands of disabled or elderly New Yorkers who cannot care for themselves.

By law, judges appoint guardians to manage the health and financial matters of people they deem incapacitated, and these guardians are then compensated from the estates of their wards. But there are not enough guardians to serve the roughly 30,000 New Yorkers who need them, and the new bill, called the Good Guardianship Act, aims to help the most vulnerable segment of this population: those who are too poor to pay for a private guardian and who have no family or friends willing to serve.

In the industry, they are known as “the unbefriended,” and the millions in new funding would flow to a statewide network of nonprofit guardians who serve them.

The proposal follows a 2024 ProPublica investigation that revealed how the state’s guardianship system was failing this group in particular by conducting little to no oversight of guardians, some of whom provided substandard care and exploited those they were charged with looking after.

The stories prompted the state attorney general to open an investigation into several guardianship providers and spurred the court system to appoint a special counsel to enact reforms. But advocates said the Good Guardianship Act presents the most promising step to date in improving the system — if it can get the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The legislation mirrors the recommendations of a task force appointed by the governor last summer, yet Hochul has not said whether she supports the plan and did not include any funding for guardianships in the $260 billion executive budget she recently unveiled.

“What’s it going to take for the governor to pay attention to guardianship and realize there’s a viable solution on the table?” said Kimberly George, who runs a nonprofit that serves about 200 New York City wards and helps lead Guardianship Access New York, a coalition of groups that’s pushing the bill in Albany.

A spokesperson for Hochul, a Democrat who is running for reelection, said the governor will review the legislation.

In recent years, Albany has provided just $1 million to help fund a statewide guardianship hotline, which provides advice for people considering guardianship for their relatives or friends. But the Good Guardianship Act would provide considerably more guardians for those who need them, effectively ensuring that qualified nonprofit groups with a history of providing guardianship services are available to be appointed by judges in cases involving the unbefriended.

To ensure that state funding only goes to what the legislation calls “reputable” nonprofits, groups must be in good standing with a state regulator and their guardianship plans and funding requests must be reviewed by a contractor picked by the director of the state’s Office for the Aging.

Assembly Member Charles Lavine, a Long Island Democrat who chairs the Assembly Judiciary Committee and introduced the legislation, expressed confidence that the bill would pass this session, noting it has no opposition and fixes a readily identifiable problem.

“It’s time that we did something to be able to provide those who are in actual, real need,” he said in an interview. “We believe we are working in the right direction.”

Lavine hosted a roundtable last fall focused on confronting what he dubbed “the crisis” in the guardianship system, describing it as being “stretched very, very thin.”

The legislation also has the support of legislative leaders in the state Senate — including its powerful majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, her spokesperson said.

State Sen. Cordell Cleare, a Harlem Democrat who chairs the Aging Committee, is shepherding the bill through the chamber. It’s on the panel’s agenda for Wednesday and is expected to be adopted. 

Full Article & Source:
We Found New York’s Guardianship System in Shambles. Now State Lawmakers Say They Have a Plan to Help Fix It.

Kent County worker accused of embezzling $100K, defrauding elderly in property scheme

A Kent County man who worked as a Michigan Adult Protective Services employee faces five felony charges, accused of embezzling over $100,000 from elderly women.

Credit: WZZM

Author: Kayla Crandall

KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A Kent County man is facing multiple felonies, accused of embezzling money and defrauding elderly women in a property-swapping scheme. 

Derek Plumb, 40, worked as a Michigan Adult Protective Services employee with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.  

Plumb is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from a vulnerable adult. He allegedly defrauded 3 elderly women by forging their names to transfer the deeds of their homes/property to himself, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office confirmed. 

According to online court records, charges were filed on Jan. 9. He faces five total charges, including embezzlement and forgery. 

"Financial exploitation of an older adult is one of the most commonly reported forms of mistreatment, and generally that financial exploitation is done by someone the elderly person trusts. On many occasions the person is a family member, but we have seen cases where it involves neighbors, friends, anyone who may have a close trusting relationship with the elderly person," Kent County Prosecutor said in an emailed statement. "In addition, only 1 out of 14 cases of abuse of an elder is ever reported, making it one of the least reported crimes we deal with."

Plumb is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday. 

13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for comment. We're waiting to hear back. His employment status with MDHHS was not immediately clear. 

If you suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation, you can call Adult Protective Services at 855-444-3911.  

Full Article & Source:
Kent County worker accused of embezzling $100K, defrauding elderly in property scheme 

Hermon, Maine, group home worker accused of attacking resident

The victim was taken to the hospital Saturday evening and the employee was charged

by Adam Bartow, Executive Producer and Jim Keithley, Reporter 

HERMON, Maine — A person from Bangor who works at a residential group home in Hermon is accused of assaulting a resident at that home.

The Penobscot County Sheriff's Office was called to the home at about 4:50 p.m. on Saturday. When deputies arrived, they determined that the victim needed to be taken to the hospital.

After an investigation, Innocent Muzungu, 26, of Bangor, was charged with intentionally endangering the welfare of a dependent person (Class C felony), misdemeanor assault, and obstructing the report of a crime (Class D misdemeanor).

Muzungu was taken to the Penobscot County Jail.

Waterville resident Leta Miller said when she heard about the assault, she immediately thought of her uncle, who lives in a different group home in Hermon.

Miller said she called her uncle's caregiver when she heard the news.

"I said: 'Is everything okay? What's going on? Are you safe? Is my uncle safe?' And she came back with: 'It wasn't this house.' She stressed that, 'It wasn't this house,' and she said my uncle was safe," Miller said.

Miller said she only gets to speak to her uncle once a week over the phone. She is currently fighting for guardianship.

"He gave me away at my wedding," Miller said. "I miss him so much."

It is unclear whether the group home resident who was assaulted remained hospitalized on Monday.

The Sheriff's Office said it was still investigating the incident.

Maine's Total Coverage contacted the company that authorities said manages the group home where the alleged assault occurred. The company said it has no comment at this time. 

Full Article & Source:
Hermon, Maine, group home worker accused of attacking resident 

KY nursing home residents could get ‘granny cams’ to watch for abuse under bill

By John Cheves

A Kentucky legislator has proposed a so-called “granny cam” law to allow nursing home residents to position video cameras in their rooms that could catch incidents of elder abuse. 

House Bill 491, filed by state Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, would require nursing homes to allow residents and their families or other legal guardians to install video- and audio-recording equipment in the residents’ rooms. The recording equipment would not be hidden; in fact, a sign at the room’s entrance would announce its presence. For shared rooms, the resident’s roommate would have to agree to the surveillance, although the equipment would be pointed away from the roommate. 

Nursing home advocates say the cameras, already authorized in at least 20 states, could be an invaluable tool in protecting some of Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens, by offering proof when they’re mistreated.

“It’s not a replacement for quality care. It’s not a replacement for family involvement. But I think that having some video monitoring available has been helpful in the past for family members and for residents who have not been believed about the quality of care they’ve been experiencing in the nursing home,” said Denise Wells, executive director of the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky nursing homes had among the worst collective ratings in the country for health and safety quality, the Herald-Leader has reported. In 2018, 43 percent were rated “below average” or “much below average” by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

Since the pandemic, Kentucky state health officials have struggled with a massive backlog in their mandatory annual inspections of nursing homes, leaving some facilities largely unscrutinized for years, the Herald-Leader has reported. 

When family members ask questions about a loved one’s bruises or other injuries, they’re sometimes not taken seriously because they’re outside visitors, Wells said. Likewise, when an elderly resident says a staff member hurt them, it’s sometimes assumed they suffer from cognitive decline and imagine things, she said.

“Unfortunately — and this is in line with the fact that people with disabilities are much more likely to experience abuse — it’s typically because they are viewed by a perpetrator as somebody who is not a reliable witness, so to speak,” Wells said.

“We definitely work with residents, as ombudsmen, who have concerns about certain caregivers,” she said. “When they report something, that caregiver might get suspended for two days pending an investigation, but then they’re placed right back in that person’s room, because the allegation was not substantiated.” 

Johnson, the bill’s sponsor, said he doesn’t know if it will get a committee hearing during this legislative session, much less be signed into law. There might just be a discussion this year, he said. 

Families should “have a right to keep an eye on” their loved ones living in nursing homes, Johnson said. However, he said, he’s not only hearing from families interested in his bill, he’s also hearing from the nursing home industry, which has “general concerns.” 

“So the bill, I would say, is in flux,” Johnson said. 

“I don’t think we’ve seen a final version of it,” he said. “The whole point is to have these conversations so we can come up with what would be the best legislation doing anything at all.”

Esther “Mitzi” Piskor is tossed from a wheelchair onto a bed by a Cleveland, Ohio, nursing home employee on May 13, 2011. Piskor’s son, Steve, was suspicious about the treatment his mother received at the nursing home, so he hid a video camera in her room. A decade later, the state of Ohio passed Esther’s Law to authorize cameras in residents’ rooms. Steve Piskor/YouTube

The major lobbying group representing the nursing home industry in Frankfort, recently renamed the Kentucky Coalition for Aging Resources and Empowerment, did not respond to a request for comment for this story. 

Texas was the first state to authorize “granny cams” in nursing homes in 2001. 

Among the many states to follow Texas is Ohio, which enacted Esther’s Law in December 2021. 

Ohio’s law is named for dementia patient Esther “Mitzi” Piskor, a victim of elder abuse at a Cleveland nursing home. Her son, Steve, who was suspicious because of his mother’s bruises and withdrawn behavior, hid a camera in her room. It captured video of aides brutally tossing Esther into and out of her bed and a wheelchair. 

Several of the aides were fired and convicted of crimes following an investigation. 

Full Article & Source:
KY nursing home residents could get ‘granny cams’ to watch for abuse under bill 

Bills would cap number of guardianship clients, require monthly visits

by: The Unicameral Update

In the wake of evidence of guardians who are not adequately serving their clients, the Judiciary Committee heard testimony Jan. 29 on two proposals that seek to improve Nebraska’s guardianship system.

LB 985, sponsored by Bennington Sen. Wendy DeBoer, would prohibit a private person from accepting appointment as a guardian or conservator if they already have 20 clients.

DeBoer said the cap would mirror the one already in place for the state’s Office of Public Guardian, which serves as guardian when no alternative is available.

While abuse by a guardian is rare, she said, it does occur. In December of last year, she said, an alleged case of fraud and abuse was made possible, in part, by the lack of a cap on how many clients a private guardian may serve.

“The more individuals you serve as a guardian for, the more accounts you have access to and the more you can bill for your services,” DeBoer said. “In order to limit the potential for abuse, I believe a cap is necessary.”

Amy Miller testified in support of LB 985 on behalf of Disability Rights Nebraska. She said the organization has spent the last three years researching the state’s guardianship system.

Approximately 10,000 people are under guardianship in Nebraska, she said, and an estimated 90% of those are full guardianships — meaning the guardian makes almost all life decisions for the client.

“Your guardian gets to decide where you live, what type of medical care you receive, whether you’re able to get a job or take classes and all of the money matters related to your life,” Miller said. “It’s hard to imagine how one person with even 20 wards under their care could thoroughly represent all of those issues for so many people.”

Jina Ragland also supported the measure. Speaking on behalf of AARP Nebraska, she said a caseload cap would ensure that guardians aren’t stretched too thin.

“This [bill] would increase the likelihood that they could spend more time with older adults and respond quickly to emergencies,” Ragland said.

Tim Hruza testified in opposition to LB 985 on behalf of the Nebraska State Bar Association. Being a guardian is difficult and intense work, he said, and making it harder to find individuals who are willing to serve may not be the answer.

“Our concern is simply that a cap of 20, while well intended … may not get to the root cause [of the problem],” Hruza said.

The committee also heard testimony on LB 1178, sponsored by DeBoer, which would allow individuals under a guardianship or conservatorship to attend required hearings either virtually or in person. The bill also would require guardians to make at least monthly monitoring visits, keep written records of those visits and maintain periodic contact with care providers.

Finally, the bill would authorize courts to award costs and reasonable attorney’s fees in specified proceedings, payable either from the trust involved or by another party.

“Monthly visits ensure guardians actually know their ward’s current condition, living situation and needs, and are not just managing their affairs on paper,” DeBoer said.

Miller testified in favor of LB 1178. Currently, she said, guardians file an annual report that consists of two pages of questions. In examining those reports, she said, Disability Rights Nebraska found one attorney who indicated that he did not visit his ward of 10 years who lived only eight miles away.

“If any guardian doesn’t visit, how do they know the condition of their ward?” Miller said. “It makes common sense to go lay eyes on a person.”

No one testified in opposition to LB 1178 and the committee took no immediate action on either proposal.

The Unicameral Update is the official news service of the Nebraska Legislature. 

Full Article & Source:
Bills would cap number of guardianship clients, require monthly visits 

New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in PayPal Scam Targeting Elderly Seabrook Resident

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Date: February 02, 2026 

 

Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that Li Geng Lin, age 58, of Flushing, New York, has been sentenced in the Rockingham County Superior Court for his role in a PayPal scam that targeted an elderly Seabrook woman. 

The investigation revealed that on the afternoon of June 2, 2025, the victim was contacted by someone pretending to work for PayPal. The caller falsely claimed that the victim owed PayPal money and instructed her to withdraw $20,000 in cash from her bank. The caller told the victim to lie to anyone who asked what the money was for, warning that she would otherwise lose access to her financial accounts. After the victim obtained the cash, the caller told her that a PayPal representative would come to her home to collect it.

Later that evening, Mr. Lin and another individual, Didi Huang of Brooklyn, New York, traveled to the victim’s home. Before they arrived, one of the victim’s family members recognized the scam and alerted the Seabrook Police Department. Mr. Lin and Mr. Huang, neither of whom worked for PayPal, were arrested upon arrival and each charged with one class A felony count of attempted theft by deception.

On December 11, 2025, Mr. Lin pleaded guilty to one class A felony count of attempted theft by deception. On Friday, the court sentenced him to serve 2 to 5 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, stand committed. The court suspended six months of the minimum term for a period of four years following his release from incarceration. As a condition of the suspended sentence, Mr. Lin is prohibited from, among other things, working in any capacity with elderly, disabled, or impaired adults.

Mr. Huang’s case remains pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Seabrook Police Department investigated the case with assistance from Investigators Calice Couchman-Ducey and Robert Sullivan of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Bryan J. Townsend, II, and Assistant Attorney General Nancy DeAngelis, of the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, prosecuted the case. Sunny Mulligan Shea and Ashley Taylor assisted as victim/witness advocates.

This scam was stopped because a family member of the victim recognized the signs of the scam and acted quickly. If you or someone you know may be a victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, contact your local police department or the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Adult and Aging Services, at 1-800-949-0470.

Source:
New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in PayPal Scam Targeting Elderly Seabrook Resident 

Florida CEO says fraudsters stole her logo, along with customers and their cash in a case of 'elder abuse'. Protect yourself from real-estate scams

The owner of a Florida mobile home brokerage is warning the public of a fraud in which impersonators are using her brand to steal customers and their deposits.

Michelle Vanderbilt runs American Mobile Home Sales, a Tampa-area brokerage that helps people buy and sell manufactured homes on leased land in Florida (1).

Many of her clients are older adults seeking affordable housing, which is why she calls this scam “elder abuse.”

“It makes me sick,” Vanderbilt told Tampa’s 8 On Your Side (2). “I just feel so bad for these individuals because they’ve been fooled.”

She first learned about the scam when angry customers showed up at her company’s headquarters demanding answers after being swindled out of their deposits — by imposters.

There was no record of sales with her company. But when she probed, she learned con artists had appropriated her brand and address, even using a similar logo in their social media posts.

The fraudsters pressured innocent victims — who thought they were buying tiny homes — into sending deposits via the e-transfer system Zelle. The would-be buyers agreed to send money before seeing the property or meeting a sales rep.

Sadly, they’re unlikely to get their money back because they authorized those transactions.

Targeting older adults in mobile-home fraud

As housing costs rise and supply falls across the U.S., mobile homes (also known as manufactured homes) are being marketed as an affordable retirement housing option — making the industry a prime target for fraudsters keen to prey on older Americans.

Scams could involve listings with stolen photos (or even AI-generated photos). They entice buyers with great ‘deals,’ so long as they act quickly — which means not seeing the home in person.

In this case, fraudsters advertised the sale of tiny homes (which typically range from 400 to 600 sq. ft.) on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, offering too-good-to-be-true ‘deals’ like $1,000 down. Turns out, the deals really were too good to be true.

But even people who thought they did their homework could have fallen for the scheme.

“They Google the address and yes, it’s here," Vanderbilt told 8 On Your Side. "They can go to the Florida State website and verify that we are a manufactured home dealer,”

The scammers even created a fake social media presence, ripping off Vanderbilt’s New Year’s post complete with her company’s logo and posting it on their fake account.

Thanks to AI, it’s getting easier for fraudsters to impersonate legitimate businesses, banks or government agencies using spoofed IDs (false digital identities). 

For example, caller ID spoofing makes it look like a call is coming from a trusted source; the same technique can be used for emails and websites.

The FBI reports that con artists target older adults because they tend to have good credit, own homes and have decent savings. They’re also trusting. (3)

In 2024, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded 147,000 complaints from victims 60 and older, representing $4.9 billion in losses — a 43% year-over-year spike in losses from 2023. (4)

 

How to protect yourself from real-estate scams

When it comes to real-estate scams, there are tip-offs you can watch for before handing over your cash — starting with offers that seem too good to be true.

Beware if the company demands:

• an urgent upfront payment
• a wire transfer or other unusual payment method (for example, Zelle)
• that you to move funds into a ‘secure’ account.

If the company has a physical presence (as with American Mobile Home Sales), verify the details of the purchase in person at the stated address before putting any money down as a deposit.

Make sure you get everything in writing and have a lawyer look over the purchase agreement.

Once you do make a deposit, consider sending it to an escrow account (in which a third party holds funds during a transaction, released once all conditions are met) rather than sending it directly to the seller.

Businesses who’ve been targeted by impersonators should follow Vanderbilt’s lead and take proactive steps to warn potential victims — and protect their reputation.

Not only has Vanderbilt gone public in the media, she’s also used social media platform reporting tools to flag the fake accounts and posts.

In addition, she contacted the Clearwater Police Department, which has launched an investigation, the Better Business Bureau, the state licensing board, the U.S. Department of State and the Federal Trade Commission.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is another option, along with your state’s Secretary of State or business filing agency.

Full Article & Source:
Florida CEO says fraudsters stole her logo, along with customers and their cash in a case of 'elder abuse'. Protect yourself from real-estate scams 

Two arrested on elder abuse, domestic assault charges in Lebanon

The investigation led to officers obtaining warrants for Jessica West, 31, and Michael McConnell, 37, for domestic assault and elder abuse.

By Kassidy Brown

LEBANON, Tenn. (WSMV) - Two people are facing charges for elder abuse and domestic assault, according to the Lebanon Police Department.

LPD said officers responded to a home Wednesday afternoon for a welfare check on a woman after police received reports of possible elder abuse.

When officers found the woman, they saw abrasions and swelling on her head LPD said is consistent with abuse. LPD said the woman was immediately taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.

The investigation led to officers obtaining warrants for Jessica West, 31, and Michael McConnell, 37, for domestic assault and elder abuse.

The investigation led to officers obtaining warrants for Jessica West, 31, and Michael McConnell, 37, for domestic assault and elder abuse.

The City Codes Department opened an investigation into the home Thursday morning for concerns about poor living conditions, and in that investigation, officials found that West and McConnell had returned to the home.

LPD officers responded to the home and arrested West and McConnell.

LPD said West was on probation for a previous elder abuse case and McConnell was on parole at the time of their arrest. Due to this, both will face additional charges.

The investigation remains ongoing. 

Full Article & Source:
Two arrested on elder abuse, domestic assault charges in Lebanon 

Norfolk woman sues guardian and service provider for allowing man with disabilities to remain soiled

By Paul Hammel

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) - A Norfolk woman is suing a provider of services for the disabled, claiming that an elderly client she cared for was allowed “numerous times” to come home from the provider’s day program covered in feces and smelling of urine.

The woman, Rosanne Ramirez Eagle Feather, who had been paid to house the elderly client in her home, also seeks to remove a rural Wayne man as legal guardian, claiming that he didn’t demonstrate sufficient attention to the problems of “DK” — the initials used in a court filing — and didn’t visit her home once over two years to check up on him.

Eagle Feather is seeking monetary damages for loss of income, attorney fees and losing “her close and loving relationship with DK” from Mosaic, the service provider, as well as from Steve Heller, the guardian, for alleged neglect and abuse.

A state operations director for Mosaic, Rochelle Cross, said she could not comment on the lawsuit, but maintained that the “first concern” of the company, which operated the day program that served DK, “is the safety and health of the people we support.”

Heller, meanwhile, described the legal battle as retaliation for the decision to remove DK from the Eagle Feather home and place him in a group home in Beatrice, where his attorney wrote, “(DK) is thriving” and is “very happy.”

Heller, in a telephone interview, said DK had suffered from incontinence for several years, and that the problem likely grew worse due to a change in his medication. He said he had entrusted Mosaic — where his late wife had served as an administrator — to keep tabs on DK’s care and report any problems.

In court filings, Heller’s attorney compared it to deferring to school officials to do what’s right for DK.

Eagle Feather, in court documents, objected to that characterization, and maintained that Heller didn’t sufficiently care for DK and had only become guardian to “honor [his wife’s] wishes.”

Heller, meanwhile, said Eagle Feather became upset, because he refused to switch DK to another day program provider. He added that she also was upset because she had lost about $6,000 a month to care for and house DK, according to court documents.

Eagle Feather, in court files, maintained that she was only concerned about DK’s well being, not money and that it was Mosaic that had a monetary interest in where DK got services.

Court files also indicated that complaints to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protective Services against Heller and Mosaic were found to be unfounded. However, Eagle Feather’s attorney, Kathleen Neary, said “only a fool” would not clean up its act in response to an APS complaint.

Eagle Feather’s request to have Heller removed as DK’s guardian has been taken under advisement by Madison County Court Judge Ross Stoffer.

The civil lawsuit, seeking damages from Mosaic and Heller, was filed recently in Madison County District Court and has not yet been set for trial.

Full Article & Source:
Norfolk woman sues guardian and service provider for allowing man with disabilities to remain soiled