Violent Elder Abuse Attack on Sleeping Homeless Man in Arroyo Grande Park

 

Author: District Attorney
Date: 7/15/2026 10:12 AM

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Boaz Winslow Brigham and Malachy Damien Hayes, both residents of Arroyo Grande, were sentenced for the brutal and unprovoked attack on a sleeping homeless man in the middle of the night in March 2026.

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Boaz Winslow Brigham (21) and Malachy Damien Hayes (18) were sentenced on July 13, 2026, in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court after each admitted to violently attacking an elderly, homeless man as he slept in a public park in Arroyo Grande. Brigham pleaded guilty and Hayes pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse, and each admitted a great-bodily-injury enhancement and multiple aggravating factors. The enhancement makes the crime a serious and violent felony - a strike - under California's Three Strikes law.

The shocking crime was committed at approximately 1:30 in the morning while the homeless victim slept in a park under an outdoor picnic area that was under video surveillance. According to police reports and surveillance video reviewed during the investigation, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 20, 2026, Hayes and Brigham walked together to Elm Street Park, where the victim, Douglas Mark, was asleep in the park gazebo.

Surveillance footage showed Hayes approach Mr. Mark as he slept, stand over him, and urinate on him until Mr. Mark awoke. Mr. Mark told officers he was roused by liquid splashing on his face and body. As Mr. Mark struggled to his feet, Hayes advanced on him and began punching him in the head and face. Brigham then walked into view and joined the attack, with the two continuing to punch and kick Mr. Mark in the head, face, and body while he lay on the ground - all while Brigham continuously video-recorded the assault on his cell phone.

The force of the beating was such that Hayes' shoe flew off his foot as he kicked Mr. Mark in the head; Hayes paused to retrieve and put the shoe back on before returning to kick Mr. Mark in the head again.  Brigham also returned to kick Mr. Mark in the head a second time. Officers later observed what appeared to be dried blood on Hayes' shoe and knuckles, as well as swelling consistent with a hematoma on Brigham's hand, injuries consistent with repeatedly striking the victim. 

Records recovered from the defendants' phones further show that during and after the attack, the two young men could be heard laughing, egging each other on, and celebrating the assault - including high-fiving one another afterward - and that they later shared video of the incident with others through Snapchat, boasting about what they had done.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office argued for the maximum sentence available under California law: seven years in state prison. However, after considering and following the sentencing factors published in the Rules of Court, the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department recommended probation with one year in County Jail rather than a state prison commitment.

Judge Crystal T. Seiler considered the arguments of counsel, the Probation Department's reports, letters submitted on the defendants' behalf, and the victim's statement to the court before ruling.

The Court found that the statutory presumption favoring state prison for a defendant who willfully inflicts great bodily injury was overcome by each defendant's youth, lack of significant prior criminal history, and willingness to accept responsibility by pleading to the charges.

The Court suspended the five-year state prison sentence for each defendant – a two-year base term on the elder abuse count plus a consecutive three-year enhancement – and instead placed both defendants on formal probation for four years, conditioned on serving 364 days in County Jail. The defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff to begin their jail sentence. 

As a special condition of probation, both defendants are barred from using any social media platform, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Snapchat, and Reddit, for the full four-year term of their probation. Given the defendants' age and the outsized role social media plays among their peer group, compliance with this restriction is expected to be a significant challenge for both men.

At sentencing, the victim addressed the Court directly. According to the District Attorney's office, he told the Court, “For this to be considered probation is outrageous ... my eyes were filled of blood, [I] get headaches ... have a brain injury ... What if I died? My brain is broken, it doesn't work right, I don't think right ... They ruined my brain.” He also said of the defendants, “They are devoid of any conscience,” and described watching video of the attack for the first time while in Court at the sentencing hearing as “hard to believe.”

District Attorney Dan Dow issued the following statement:

"This elderly man was homeless, asleep, and completely defenseless when he was humiliated and brutally beaten, leaving him with a permanent brain injury. He was especially vulnerable, and he is entitled to protection and dignity as a human being. Our office sought a state prison sentence because this predatory, recorded attack on a sleeping victim warranted the strongest response the law allows. Although we are disappointed that probation was granted instead of prison, we respect the Court’s authority and will continue to stand with victims and advocate for firm, just consequences for violent offenders.”

Restitution to the victim remains pending; a Restitution Status Determination hearing is scheduled for both defendants on September 14, 2026, in Department 9.

This case was investigated by the Arroyo Grande Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Julie Antos. Victim Witness services have been provided by Victim Advocate Tristan Milledge and Witness Coordinator Eloiza Basinger.

Here is a copy of Boaz Brigham’s booking photo and his charging document.

Here is a copy of Malachy Damien Hayes’ booking photo and his charging document.

Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at 805.781.5819 with any questions.
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Source:
Violent Elder Abuse Attack on Sleeping Homeless Man in Arroyo Grande Park 

3 accused in elder exploitation case

By WALA Digital Staff

MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people following a months long investigation into the alleged financial exploitation of an elderly Mobile County resident.

A third suspect is being sought.

The investigation began in November 2025 after the victim’s daughter reported concerns that her elderly father had been targeted through fraud, extortion, forgery and theft, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives and the agency’s Special Investigations Unit reviewed financial records, executed court-authorized subpoenas, served search warrants for electronic devices and conducted interviews with victims and witnesses. Investigators say three people allegedly worked together between 2019 and 2025 to obtain money, real property and other assets from the victim.

Authorities said about $659,314 in assets — including the estimated value of two properties — was supported by available evidence and included in the criminal charges. Investigators believe the total loss approached $1 million, but said only losses supported by evidence and within legal timeframes were charged.

The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office approved the following felony charges:

Melissa Lynn Hobden: two counts of financial exploitation of the elderly (first degree), three counts of theft of property (first degree), and one count of identity theft.

Michael Lewis Crouch: one count of theft of property (first degree), one count of attempted theft of property (first degree), and two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Nora Powe Hobden: one count of theft of property (first degree) and one count of financial exploitation of the elderly (first degree).

The sheriff’s office said its Special Operations Unit executed a residential search warrant around 6 a.m. July 15, 2026, at 5515 Darring Street in Satsuma. Deputies took Melissa Hobden and Crouch into custody without incident, authorities said.

During the search, investigators recovered multiple cell phones, a laptop, a notebook believed to contain financial records, mail, handwritten documents, legal paperwork and property deeds containing the victim’s personal identifying information, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities said Nora Powe Hobden was arrested at a separate location on Middle Road on July 15.

Sheriff Paul Burch said the case underscores the agency’s focus on protecting vulnerable residents. “Financial crimes against our elderly citizens are among the most heartbreaking crimes we investigate because they involve the abuse of trust,” Burch said in a statement.

The investigation remains active and additional charges are possible, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 574-8633.

Full Article & Source:
3 accused in elder exploitation case

Mobile Alabama County Police Officer Accused of Gambling Away Most of Incapacitated Wife's Funds to Gamble at Mississippi Casinos

Written by :  Nagesh Rath 

Prichard, Alabama Police Sgt. Aaron Tucker, as well as his sister, have been removed as co-conservators of Tucker's wife. Former Saraland Police Officer Jackie Tucker was left incapacitated after being shot in the line of duty over a decade ago. 

A Mobile County Probate Judge determined that much of the money benefited her husband instead of Jackie.  A good chunk of that money was gambled away at Mississippi casinos, according to court documents. 

Court audits uncovered "numerous" red flags with the conservatorship, including the failure to report money received from fundraisers and a $343,000 Department of Justice benefit payment. The court also flagged "large amounts of cash" Aaron withdrew from the conservatorship account and checks he wrote to himself.

According to an August 6th 2025 court order, Jackie's conservatorship estate received $554,305, and by June 2022, nearly all of it had been spent.

The order also says Aaron purchased a $97,000 Mercedes Sprinter van that lacked accessibility equipment for Jackie and used conservatorship funds to buy a food truck for his "personal use."

Last year, Hartford Fire Insurance Company, which backed the conservatorship bond and paid money to Jackie's estate, was granted a $201,751 judgement against Aaron and his sister.

Hartford is now attempting to collect on its judgment. Court filings say the Prichard Police Department has not responded to the company's attempt to garnish Aaron's wages.  

The probate findings could potentially be referred to prosecutors or investigated as financial exploitation, theft or another offense.   Aaron Tucker is yet to be charged with any wrongdoing and has not publicly commented on the accusations.  

The Prichard Police Department has been under intense scrutiny over the past year.  

In 2025, the department opened an internal investigation after Prichard officer David Cunningham was arrested on kidnapping charges stemming from an incident in Mississippi. The department said it was reviewing whether Cunningham violated departmental policies, including operating a city vehicle across state lines.

Separately, local reporting has indicated that the Alabama Attorney General's Office and other law enforcement agencies have been conducting a broader public-corruption investigation involving the City of Prichard and matters connected to the police department. Public reporting has not identified all subjects or the precise scope of that investigation, and officials have released limited details.

Jackie Tucker's injuries have been described as catastrophic and permanent.  She has required years of intensive rehabilitation, ongoing medical care, and assistance with daily living.

Jackie was shot in the head on December 21, 2016 while reporting to a domestic disturbance call.  A male resident, later identified as Blake Richardson, opened fire on Tucker and another officer almost immediately upon their arrival. 

Despite the catastrophic wound, Tucker remained conscious long enough to draw her service weapon and fire back at Richardson, wounding him.  Richardson was able to flee the scene but police quickly took the wounded man into custody. He was pronounced dead after being transferred to an area hospital. 

Accounts honoring her service describe her actions after being shot as an extraordinary effort to protect herself and her fellow officer.

An attorney has now been appointed Guardian ad Litem for Jackie. 

Full Article & Source:
Mobile Alabama County Police Officer Accused of Gambling Away Most of Incapacitated Wife's Funds to Gamble at Mississippi Casinos 

One state is making it easier for grandma and grandpa to drink in their assisted living home

by Graig Graziosi

One state is making it easier for grandma and grandpa to drink in their assisted living home

Minnesota just passed a law that will make it easier for grandma and grandpa to imbibe and relax at their nursing homes and assisted living communities.

Governor Tim Walz signed the "Grandparents' Happy Hour" measure into law on Tuesday, according to CBS News.

The law will allow individuals living in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and boarding care facilities to serve alcohol to residents during social events. The facilities have to notify the state of their intent to serve and adhere to the state's safety standards, but won't have to navigate the state's usual liquor licensing restrictions.

The law goes into effect on August 1. It's unclear how many facilities plan to implement alcohol into their social offerings.

The wording of the law makes clear that the alcohol offered is to be served, not sold, to residents; senior care facilities in Minnesota will not be turning into bars."

"[I]ntoxicating liquor may not be sold, offered for sale, or otherwise provided for any form of consideration," the law says.

While many states do allow limited service of alcohol in senior care facilities, the decision to serve largely is left to the discretion of the individual facility.

The legislation was reportedly inspired by Amira Choice, a senior living community, which offered happy hours for its seniors but couldn't legally serve alcohol because there was no apparatus in place for them to obtain a liquor license, CBS reports.

"Growing older shouldn't mean giving up the traditions and freedoms you've enjoyed your whole life," Walz said during a press event. "This law cuts unnecessary red tape so senior living communities can spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time creating opportunities for residents to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours, and everyday moments together. It's about dignity, independence, and recognizing that community is an essential part of quality care," he added.

Anita LeBrun, an 82-year-old woman who testified on behalf of the legislation, celebrated the adoption of the law.

"Today we raise our glasses, not just for happy hour, but for independence," she said. "This law affirms that living in assisted living doesn't mean giving up the everyday pleasures that help us live life on our own terms."

She said that happy hours let seniors connect, laugh, and share stories from their lives.

"It brings friends together and helps make everyday moments special," she added.

Supporters of the law argue that it will provide seniors in assisted living or nursing homes with more freedom and opportunities to socialize within their communities. 

Full Article & Source:
One state is making it easier for grandma and grandpa to drink in their assisted living home 

Guardians are supposed to care for our most vulnerable. Why are exploitation cases skyrocketing?

Volunteers reviewing annual reports filed by guardians identified issues including 9 unauthorized property sales and dozens of unexplained financial transactionsNJ.com photo illustration | Canva

By Ted Sherman

She told a horror story of being taken advantage of by a woman long believed to be a friend.

The victim of a traumatic brain injury from years ago, she found herself in need of help after her husband who served as her caretaker passed away from kidney disease seven years ago. The friend offered to be her guardian.

Over time, however she said tens of thousands of dollars were siphoned from her accounts by the guardian.

“She took $62-to-$63,000 of my money,” said the 67-year-old now being represented by Disability Rights New Jersey, a state legal advocacy group that serves people with disabilities. She asked not to be identified because of possible retribution.

Other court-appointed guardians followed and she was forced to leave her home after being involuntarily placed in long-term care, prevented from making decisions for herself. Tax bills went unpaid and someone broke into the vacant house, causing major damage.

Her story is far from the only one of its kind in New Jersey.

More than a decade ago, the state set up a volunteer watchdog team to monitor the work of those entrusted with the affairs of elderly and disabled people. In announcing the monitoring program in 2013, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner — who noted the rapid increase in the number of court-appointed legal guardians in New Jersey — said while most were caring and responsible individuals, that was not always the case.

“Unfortunately, some guardians have exploited the very people they promised to help,” Rabner said at the time.

Today there are more than 37,000 guardianships in place in New Jersey, overseeing more than $1.2 billion in reported assets, according to state judiciary officials.

And an examination by NJ.com of the number of cases red-flagged by the court’s monitoring program suggested that concerns about guardians exploiting others remain very real.

New Jersey Judiciary officials said the Guardianship Monitoring Program’s volunteers reported 694 so-called “escalated concerns” to judges in calendar year 2025 — more than two and a half times as many in 2024, when 252 were reported.

Those issues in 2025 included nearly 90 cases brought to the attention of the court citing “inappropriate, un-itemized, or unexplained disbursements.” Another 80 cases involved inconsistencies in the reporting of income or assets and 30 which found incorrect calculations of fees or commissions.

There were nine reports of property sales without required court permission.

A guardianship is a legal relationship created when a judge grants a person or entity the authority and responsibility to make decisions in the best interest of an individual who may lack the capacity to make decisions concerning their living needs or property.

There are no court-set fees paid to guardians, experts say. However, guardians are entitled to take annual commissions from an incapacitated persons estate at a rate fixed by statute.

Guardianships are not typically a matter of public record. But they can come to light when they involve high-profile celebrities, such as former talk show host Wendy Williams, or when someone blows a whistle on questionable dealings.

In more recent remarks before the New Jersey Bar Association this past May, Rabner said there are still “too many reported cases over the years of guardians who commit acts of abuse and fraud.”

Rabner said 70 active volunteers review the annual reports filed by guardians with each county’s surrogate’s office.

“They have identified and escalated concerns that might require follow-up action,” he said. “Judiciary staff, in turn, relay problematic information to judges who can bring guardians into court, possibly replace them, and, in rare instances, report a matter to the prosecutor’s office.”

According to judiciary officials, improved reporting and data analytics methodologies could be behind the increased numbers of escalated concerns now being reported to judges.

Others who regularly deal with guardianship cases, though, were not so sure.

Attorney William Friedman of Gaeta & Friedman in Rutherford, whose practice includes estates and trusts, said he has watched the judiciary steadily try to put in more reporting requirements, “which indicated to me even before Justice Rabner acted that there’s a problem.”

At the same time, Friedman noted the population is aging.

“We’re getting more and more guardianships,” he said.

Among the more notorious past cases in New Jersey was an attorney-guardian who stole $2.6 million from nearly 60 incapacitated people and a minister serving as a guardian who embezzled $200,000 from 19 individuals.

Nationally, the Senate Special Committee on Aging raised the issue of guardianship abuse in a 2018 report that found some have used guardianship proceedings to obtain control of vulnerable individuals “and then used that control to liquidate assets and savings for their own benefit.”

The committee said once a guardianship is imposed, there are few safeguards in place to protect against individuals who choose to abuse the system. It called for greater oversight. At the same time, it said few states are able to report accurate or detailed guardianship data.

When Rabner announced the state’s volunteer guardianship monitoring program in 2013, he cited a national AARP survey that noted from 1990 to 2010, “hundreds of allegations of physical abuse, neglect and financial exploitation by guardians were reported.”

An AARP spokesman said the group has not revisited the issue in recent years.

The lack of information on guardianships was similarly highlighted in a 2016 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which said the extent of elder abuse by guardians nationally was unknown due to limited data.

New Jersey Assemblywoman and Deputy Speaker Carol A. Murphy, D-Burlington, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee, said more needs to be done.

Murphy has sponsored a bill for the past three legislative sessions, A4224, that would establish a guardianship monitoring program in Office of Public Guardian for Elderly Adults. Under the bill, that office would be designated as an “interested party” that must be served with the periodic reports that must be filed by a court-appointed guardian.

The measure has never made it out of committee.

One of her concerns is that a court-appointed guardian who is not a family member has no personal investment in the ward’s well-being.

“You want someone you know is going to take care of you,” said Murphy.

The woman being represented by Disability Rights New Jersey is no longer under the guardianship of her former friend. But she is still trying to recover from what she said was taken from her.

Disability Rights New Jersey, she said, succeeded in finally having her declared competent and she hopes to sell her damaged home, now worth far less than it once did, and move into her own apartment.

“All the money that was taken from me is just horrendous,” she said. 

Full Article & Source:
Guardians are supposed to care for our most vulnerable. Why are exploitation cases skyrocketing? 

Judge Grants $3M to Incapacitated Adult Film Actress’ Mom

A judge has approved a $3 million settlement on behalf of a woman and her daughter, who is a former adult film actress but now-incapacitated, against the Malibu rehabilitation center where her offspring allegedly was left in a vegetative state in 2024 because oxygen to her brain was curtailed.

Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason gave her nod to the accord involving defendant Summit Malibu after attorneys for Yesenia Lara Cooper, mother of Litzy Lara Banuelos, accepted a reduction in their requested fees to be deducted out of the settlement from $1.2 million to $1 million. Banuelos was addicted to ketamine and previously had a failed stint in a drug rehabilitation facility, according to her attorneys’ court papers. Both she and her mother were plaintiffs in the case.

A judge’s approval of the settlement was needed because Banuelos is incapacitated.

In a previous sworn declaration in support of the lawsuit resolution, plaintiffs’ attorney James A. Morris Jr. said hard work was involved in reaching the accord.

“Having lived and breathed this case for nearly two years, I can state with confidence that Ms. Banuelos is significantly injured, but that this case was no slam dunk,” Morris said. “No one knows what exactly happened to Ms. Banuelos or whether defendants could have done anything different to prevent the injuries from happening, given Ms. Banuelos’ fragile state as a ketamine addict when she entered their facility.” 

The lack of oxygen to Banuelos’ brain has caused an anoxic brain injury from which she will never recover, according to Morris, who further says that she cannot move her body and is “effectively frozen.” She sometimes opens her eyes, but does not always track movements, and she occasionally grunts, according to Morris.

At one point specialists offered the theory that a latent infection Willis could have possibly gotten while in the adult film industry may have caused her health issues, Morris says.

Banuelos was known in the industry as Emily Willis. She was a Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and won multiple Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021.

In their previous court papers, Summit Malibu lawyers said Banuelos shared blame for what occurred to her health.

“It is undisputed that during her stay, Litzy had refused to follow medical recommendations and take her medications,” according to the Summit Malibu attorneys’ pleadings. “She refused to go to urgent care or the hospital voluntarily, despite being encouraged to do so by (Summit Malibu).”

While Cooper contended that Summit Malibu should have forced her daughter to go to urgent care or a hospital despite the young woman’s refusal, the facility had no authority to do so, according to the rehab center’s lawyers.

Summit Malibu’s attorneys also said there was no evidence of any negligence on the staff’s part regarding Banuelos’ care given that Cooper’s own lawsuit states her daughter was regularly monitored and seen by the staff.

Nonetheless, Cooper alleged Summit Malibu was lax in her daughter’s care. Willis, now 27, was at the facility for treatment of a ketamine addiction.

“As a direct and proximate result of (Summit Malibu’s) neglect, abandonment, recklessness and negligence in failing to provide care and treatment for Litzy, she suffered irreversible brain damage and permanent physical and mental incapacity, pain, suffering and emotional distress, among other damages,” the suit filed in December 2024 stated. 

Full Article & Source:
Judge Grants $3M to Incapacitated Adult Film Actress’ Mom

 

Federal Probe Charges Nursing Home Owner in Alleged $64M Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Durable Medical Equipment

By Zahida Siddiqi

The former owner of an Illinois-based nursing home has been charged with healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme involving more than $64 million in fraudulent Medicare claims related to durable medical equipment (DME). 

Rajiv Shah, who was the primary owner of St. Anthony’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rock Island, Ill., has been charged with a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, in connection with the alleged scheme, according to charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Shah also owned and operated ACC-Q Data LLC, a medical billing company that allegedly conspired with DME suppliers to submit fraudulent Medicare claims, the indictment states.

“Rajiv Shah and his co-conspirators submitted and caused the submission on behalf of the DME Companies of more than $64 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, via interstate wire communications, for DME that was medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement,” the indictment filing dates June 18 alleges.

Medicare allegedly paid the DME companies over $23 million for these claims, the filing further states, noting that the companies paid Shah a percentage of the reimbursements they received from Medicare totaling approximately $1.127 million from June 2019 through December 2025.

“We are the billing company. We just bill for different companies,” Shah told Skilled Nursing News. 

Prosecutors allege Shah advised the companies on how to avoid Medicare scrutiny and conceal the fraudulent nature of the claims.

However, Shah explained that he merely handled billing, was no longer involved with the companies after October 2023, and denied responsibility for the alleged $64 million fraud.

“Though I would have taken $1 million, the claim is $64 million. But those guys were already convicted,” Shah told SNN. “In the last few years, I didn’t keep tab of it because what happens in a medical billing business is that people come in, you do billing for two years, they sell the company or they buy another company or they start doing billing themselves. It is a completely turbulent industry. So, [with] all these people, I’m not done billing. I do not know any of them, where they are even from October 2023. That was the last billing I did for these four companies.”

Shah previously held more than a 90% ownership stake in St. Anthony’s from April 2022 until April 2026, he said.

The charges do not allege wrongdoing involving St. Anthony’s and are part of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a nationwide enforcement effort targeting hundreds of defendants accused of defrauding federal healthcare programs. Shah was indicted in June 2026.

The DOJ said the broader 2026 Health Care Fraud Takedown resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 physicians and other licensed medical professionals, for schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims.

The investigation also included provider suspensions, billing privilege revocations, asset seizures exceeding $182 million, as well as coordinated enforcement actions by federal and state agencies. tigation also included provider suspensions, billing privilege revocations, asset seizures exceeding $182 million, as well as coordinated enforcement actions by federal and state agencies. 

Full Article & Source:
Federal Probe Charges Nursing Home Owner in Alleged $64M Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Durable Medical Equipment 

Minnesota providers build their own international pipeline to ease nursing shortage

by Donna Shryer

 

Roger White and Kari Thurlow

Four Minnesota aging services providers aren’t waiting on the labor market or Washington to solve their staffing crisis. They created their own international nurse-recruitment organization and are now partnering with LeadingAge Minnesota to expand the model. 

The move is a long-range response to more than 11,000 unfilled aging services positions in Minnesota and growing workforce pressures nationwide as the population ages.

LeadingAge Minnesota Solutions, the business services subsidiary of LeadingAge Minnesota, and Global Care Recruiters (GCR) announced on July 8 a strategic partnership to expand ethical international nurse recruitment for aging services providers. GCR was founded by four LeadingAge Minnesota member organizations — Guardian Angels Senior Services, Mount Olivet Careview Home, Prairie Cottages and Vista Prairie Communities — as a provider-led recruitment organization. 

Under the partnership, LeadingAge Minnesota Solutions will provide executive leadership and operational support while GCR remains independently governed.

The model is still in its early stages: 59 nurses are currently in the immigration pipeline, a process that typically takes about 22 months. 

The first arrivals are expected in Minnesota this winter, followed by a steady monthly pace, with the pipeline projected to grow to 100 to 120 nurses by spring 2027, said Roger White, Executive Director at Mount Olivet Careview Home and one of the founders of Global Care Recruiters. 

He said there’s also potential to expand the provider-led model to additional US markets within five years. 

White called the effort a “huge and critical investment,” noting that even with nurses beginning to arrive this winter, reaching full workforce impact remains a multi-year effort.

Foreign recruitment veterans

For about 20 years, Mount Olivet Careview Home has employed a large number of African immigrants, said White. That experience shaped his reaction when he learned a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) testing center was set to open in Nairobi, Kenya — a key step toward US licensure for nurses there.

White traveled to Kenya in January 2024 for the center’s opening. Nurses and university officials there described cases in which prospective recruits paid as much as $1,000 for promises of US jobs, sometimes after families sold property or depleted their savings, only to be ghosted, he said. Others who did make it to the US arrived without social support or anyone to help them settle in.

After returning from Kenya, White said, the group discussed the stories they had heard. Those conversations, held during a dinner at the LeadingAge Minnesota convention, led them to explore a model that would charge nurses no recruitment fees and provide sustained support before and after arrival. 

They also chose to recruit specifically for long-term care. White said traditional recruiters work across healthcare settings, where higher hospital wages can sway nurses toward hospital jobs.

Long-term investment

The investment doesn’t end once a nurse is recruited. White recommended monthly meetings with nurses throughout the visa process, followed by intensive support during their first 90 days in the US. That includes help with licensing, transportation, food, mentoring and community connections.

Contracts also need to be clear, White said. Terms should be transparent, expectations clear and pay compliant with prevailing-wage requirements. Prospective recruits who are wary of exploitation may be especially alert to ambiguity in an offer, he said.

Kari Thurlow, president and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota, said ethical recruitment also demands honest self-assessment on the employer’s side. 

“Are we ready to really create environments for people who are uprooting their lives and moving halfway across the globe to start a new life?” she asked.

Welcoming, inclusive workplaces matter for retention, Thurlow added, but also because employers owe recruits the best possible chance to succeed after making such a major life change. She said LeadingAge Minnesota contributes employer education, peer learning opportunities, welcoming-workplace resources and advocacy for more workable immigration policy.

Navigating immigration policy

To bring nurses from Kenya to the US, the founders chose the EB-3 visa category — a slower route, but one that offers a pathway to permanent residency and, potentially, citizenship. White described that as a deliberate tradeoff for a model built around long-term workforce stability.

The founders and their immigration legal advisers also weighed political relationships between the US and potential source countries before concentrating on Kenya. White cited the US-Kenya political and security relationship as a reason the country appeared comparatively stable.

International recruitment also can raise concerns about depleting the healthcare workforce of source countries. White said the founders are working with Kenyan government representatives to monitor that impact. Some nurses may eventually return home with experience gained in US long-term care, he added — potentially opening clinics or contributing to Kenya’s developing eldercare system.

“Don’t just think about solutions that serve yourself,” said Thurlow, recalling a visit by Kenyan government officials, “but think about how we can create win-wins across the oceans for both countries.” 

Full Article & Source:
Minnesota providers build their own international pipeline to ease nursing shortage 

Woman found guilty of abuse, manslaughter of elderly, nonverbal mother with dementia

by Megan Brugger

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (KUTV) — A jury found a woman guilty of abuse and manslaughter of her elderly mother, who had dementia.

Lori Meers, 53, of Cottonwood Heights, was charged in September 2025 with aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony, and manslaughter, a second-degree felony.

She was found guilty on Monday.

In March 2025, officers responded to Intermountain Medical Center to investigate a report of elder abuse.

The victim — a 77-year-old nonverbal woman with dementia — had allegedly been left on the floor, covered in feces.

Doctors determined the feces were a few days old. They said she was in "poor medical physical shape and had obvious bodily damage."

"[She] was so cold; she was hypothermic, and it took doctors hours to warm her up," the affidavit states. She also had bed sores and severe sepsis with septic shock.

The victim's twin sister told officers that the woman had been in the care of her niece, Lori Meers, for a "long time."

The sister said she wanted to find a permanent care facility for her, but claimed Meers "was dragging her feet and not following through with it."

A few weeks before the incident, Meers allegedly called the elder abuse hotline on herself, "because she was tired and not able to take care of [her mother] like she wanted to."

The twin sister went to visit three weeks later — on March 10 — and found the woman on the floor, ice-cold to the touch.

She told detectives that when she saw her sister three and a half weeks before this, she could talk and was "moving around and in good spirits."

The woman died on March 19, 2025. Her autopsy revealed significant trauma, and Meers was arrested.

According to the probable cause statement, Meers allegedly said, "Me allowing my mom to play in her own crap, is neglect. I don't care. Yeah, there might be reasoning behind it. There might be, you know, to me, justify not, maybe not justifiable, but, but there was reasoning behind it."

Utah is a mandatory reporter state, meaning any person who has reason to believe that a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited must immediately notify Adult Protective Services or the nearest law enforcement office.

You can also report suspected abuse directly to Utah's hotline at 800-371-7897, or online at https://daas.utah.gov/adult-protective-services/. 

Full Article & Source:
Woman found guilty of abuse, manslaughter of elderly, nonverbal mother with dementia

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Cottonwood Heights woman charged with neglecting elderly mother, contributing to her death