Maryland Woman Found Guilty of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Incapacitated Victim

Friday, August 21, 2026

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Linda Laird, 62, of Cordova, Maryland, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in connection with a scheme to abuse her position as the co-guardian and co-conservator of an 81-year-old vulnerable adult, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

The federal jury deliberated approximately four hours following a three-day trial before finding Laird guilty of conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud and theft of public money; conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and elderly person; and fraud in the first degree against a senior citizen.  

U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2026. 

According to court documents, in November 2017, Laird, her late father, James Blizzard, and her late mother, Joyce Blizzard were appointed by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as co-guardians and co-conservators of Laird’s grandmother, who was a vulnerable adult. At the time, Laird’s grandmother was 81 years old and suffered from severe cognitive impairments. After Joyce Blizzard passed away in June 2018, Laird and James Blizzard continued as co-guardians and co-conservators. 

While Laird’s grandmother resided in the nursing home, Laird and Blizzard were required to act as fiduciaries and apply her money towards her support, care, and treatment. Instead, Laird and Blizzard used their authority as co-guardians and co-conservators to redirect U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits intended for, and checking account funds belonging to, the vulnerable adult to their personal bank accounts for their own benefit. In total, Laird and Blizzard stole more than $21,000 in Social Security benefits and obtained over $100,000 from the vulnerable adult’s bank accounts for their personal use. Laird spent these funds on jewelry, designer shoes, and expensive football tickets. 

This case was investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Facci and David Deitch of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

Source:
Maryland Woman Found Guilty of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Incapacitated Victim 

Mother and son accused of financially exploiting elderly northeast Iowa couple

by Mike Bunge

WAVERLY, Iowa - A mother and son have been charged with financial exploitation of older individuals.

Renee Lynne Owens, 49 of Waverly, and Jonathon Paul Owens, 27 of Charles City, are both accused of spending money belonging to Renee's parents/Jonathon's grandparents for their own personal benefit.

Court documents state Renee Owens got Power of Attorney over her parents in May 2025. Investigators say between that time and the end of March 2026, Owens withdrew $34,410.47 from her parents' accounts to spend on herself. Owens allegedly spend the money on streaming services, gas station charges, Tik Tok Shop, online gaming, veterinary bills, vehicle payments, camping, vehicle repair, retail shopping, and cash withdrawals.

Jonathon Owens allegedly spent $4,131.91 of his grandparents' money on online gaming, veterinary bills, and vehicle repair charges.

Jonathon Owens has pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set. Renee Owens has not entered a plea.

Full Article & Source:
Mother and son accused of financially exploiting elderly northeast Iowa couple 

Cher’s Son Elijah Blue’s Wife Challenges Singer’s Conservatorship, Asks Court to Put Her In Charge (Exclusive)

By Kaitlin Simpson and Andrea Simpson

Vince Bucci/Newsmakers

Elijah Blue Allman’s wife, Marieangela King, filed new court documents objecting to Cher’s appointment of a probate conservator for her drug-addled son — and now King is nominating herself and wants the court to appoint her as his conservator, claiming the iconic singer has been estranged from her son for years, his famous mother’s involvement is against his wishes, and the singer’s petition is an intrusion into their marriage.

King, 39, also claims in the docs filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 18, that Cher, 80, has shown a pattern of “hostility” and “gatekeeping” towards her by intentionally keeping her out of any discussions involving Elijah’s care.

But Cher’s legal team questions whether the reconciliation between Elijah, 50, and his once estranged wife is genuine, or whether their apparent union is only a “ruse.”

In the newly filed docs, King claims that Elijah‘s estranged relatives have repeatedly attempted to impose a conservatorship or some similar restraints on Elijah without her knowledge.

King alleges that when the case was filed in 2023 Cher did not serve Elijah or herself, claiming that they were missing when King claims they were in regular contact with the star via her staff and regularly visited her home to collect their mail. She claims Cher knew how to reach them.

She claims that while the conservator petition has been pending in California, Elijah’s estranged siblings Devon Allman and Chaz Bono filed to be appointed Elijah‘s guardians in a New Hampshire court without her knowledge.

King is asking that the court dismiss or stay that petition because she claims Elijah doesn’t live in California. She claims he has no permanent ties or home in California and that he has no intention of returning to the state.

According to her documents, Elijah is currently under long-term, involuntary institutional care and is in the custody of the state of New Hampshire. He is also facing ongoing criminal and mental competency court proceedings amid his institutionalized treatment. She claims the New Hampshire State Hospital has already started oversight and initiated guardianship proceedings, arguing that as a result legal jurisdiction is in New Hampshire, not California.

King claims that Elijah never filed an answer in her recently filed divorce case, which she then filed to dismiss in June for the second time.

She alleges that Elijah is confined to a secure, locked psychiatric facility.

“Elijah‘s primary source of income other than gifts from [his mother] and payments from her trusts… include payments from one or more family trusts created by his late father… and because he’s currently confined and under state supervision… there’s no risk that he will miss us or mismanage” any funds, as stated in the docs.

She claims that at Elijah’s “urging” she dismissed her most recent divorce petition as well as a court order for $70,000 and unpaid spousal support so that she “could stand in support of my spouse … ensure his well-being and be there for him and his care plan.”

“I strongly believe that Elijah needs a robust, long-term treatment plan to deal with these issues, an appointment of a conservator selected by his mother, from whom he has been estranged for years … her removing his autonomy against his wishes would demoralize him … jeopardizing his recovery,” the docs read.

King cites court documents from April 2024 filed by Elijah, in which he stated that he objected to Cher’s appointment as his conservator and one of the reasons was because he claimed she’s not entitled to priority because he was married and he stated Cher was “unfit to serve.”

Elijah says that his wife is entitled to that priority as his conservator.

“My mother’s petition raises dual concerns that I suffer from some mental illness and that I live hand to mouth using my trust distributions to buy drugs and place myself in immortal danger,” Elijah says per the docs. “As I have mentioned in previous pleadings, I have struggled with addiction, but I’m not mentally ill.”

Elijah continues, “I know that my mother’s objectives are not nefarious: she is a wealthy and famous entertainer who does not need the comparatively small sums that I received from my late father’s trust. I know that my mother’s actions are meant to help me, but I do not need this help. My mother seems to believe that controlling these quarterly trust distributions will prevent me from engaging in self-destructive behaviors. She is misguided.” 

Elijah adds that if he is “inclined to engage in self-destructive behaviors” he does “not need” his “trust distributions to do so.”

“The world is full of addicts and mentally ill persons who do not have a trust distribution from which to draw,” he says. “The only person who can save me for my demons is me.”

Shortly after, Elijah and his mother settled the case, only for the singer to revive the conservatorship petition in April of this year after he was arrested in February and March following two separate incidents in New Hampshire at a private boarding school and residential home and is facing charges including simple assault, criminal trespassing, criminal threatening, and burglary.

In new docs, King is objecting to any conservator nominated by Cher “as an unwarranted intrusion into the marital relationship.”

She claims that Elijah already objected to his mother‘s prior petition in 2024. “He did not wish for [her] to act as his conservator.”

King states she’s “ready, willing, and able“ to be his conservator and “will do what is right by Elijah to stabilize the expenditures and address the outstanding financial issues.”

Elijah has been estranged from Cher for many years, King claims in her paperwork stating, “Elijah and [Cher] notoriously have an extremely poor relationship, and many unresolved trust issues.”

That said, she alleges there is a conflict of interest. King claims that Cher has “repeatedly attempted to confine Elijah against his will.“

“[Cher] … refused to work, or cooperate, with me, as Elijah’s spouse, and developing a long-term care plan for his recovery and care,“ claiming that Elijah‘s relatives have rejected or ignored her requests.

She alleges that Elijah’s brother Devon told her that the family “has no interest in getting Elijah into treatment.”

King claims that appointing a conservator selected by Cher is not in Elijah‘s best interest. She alleged that his mother, family members and other associates have attempted to manipulate medical providers in charge of Elijah‘s care.

“[Cher] and her associates have history of using [Cher’s] money, fame, and resources to manipulate doctors, social workers, and other professionals to interfere in the marital relationship, confine Elijah, and or act in a manner, contrary to his best interest and against his will,” King says per the docs.

King continues, “[Cher’s] conduct throughout these proceedings … reveals a calculated pattern of intentional, prejudice, hostility, and bad faith aimed at dismantling the marital unit. For years, [she] has systematically excluded me from all discussions, medical assessments, decisions, and proposed care planning regarding Elijah, contrary to my role, rights and responsibilities as his spouse. She has done so contrary to his stated desire to have me involved due to his deep distrust for [his mother].”

King claims that Cher’s “failure and refusal to cooperate with me, paired with her clandestine coordination with treatment, facilities, and other professionals, without my knowledge and against Elijah’s will, has, in my view, substantially impeded his ability to get effective treatment.”

“It demonstrates that this action is not a protective intervention, but part of an adversarial campaign of stripping me of my role as Elijah‘s spouse and ability to fulfill that role and attempting to dictate the care and estate of Elijah, her adult child, through intentional insulation and familial gatekeeping,” King says in the docs.

King continues, “I’m extremely concerned that appointment of a conservator hand selected by [her] is equally not in Elijah‘s best interests and will be viewed by Elijah as further punishment and an effort to interfere with his autonomy, rather than an attempt to help him. And Elijah‘s fragile mental state, this would jeopardize his chances of a hopeful recovery.“

Cher’s legal team is arguing in its own docs filed in July that the court’s jurisdiction should stay in California. Her legal team states that Elijah is involuntarily incarcerated in New Hampshire and has never had an address in New Hampshire, and his family and friends are in California, including his wife.

The Grammy winner’s legal team also argues that “given his apparent reconciliation with his wife, if he claims not to intend to return to California, does that mean he intends to remain separated from his wife? Either he has reconciled and intends to return to live with his spouse in California or her sudden reappearance and convenient reconciliation is a ruse.”

Us has reached out to Cher’s attorneys for comment. 

Full Article & Source:
Cher’s Son Elijah Blue’s Wife Challenges Singer’s Conservatorship, Asks Court to Put Her In Charge (Exclusive) 

See Also:
Latest on Cher’s Conservatorship Battle Over Her Son

Judge Denies Cher’s Bid for Emergency Conservatorship Over Son Elijah Blue Allman 

Former Pennsylvania priest accused of stealing $740,000 from church and mother

by Lori Burkholder

Former Catholic priest Gregory Madeya has been charged with stealing more than $740,000 from church funds and his elderly mother, according to the Pennsylvania attorney general.

Gregory Madeya

Investigation uncovers drugs and financial records

"This is a very serious matter involving a lot of money and many victims. An entire community was betrayed," Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

The investigation into Madeya began in early 2023, and a search of his West Mifflin home uncovered heroin, marijuana, crack cocaine residue, financial documents, bank cards, and church offering envelopes. Authorities then interviewed individuals connected to Madeya’s three parishes in McKeesport, Derry Township, and Jeannette. 

According to the criminal complaint, Madeya allegedly misused funds from church fundraisers, rent payments, church fees, and donations since 2018. Investigators claim he spent nearly $320,000 on personal items, including a Mustang, drug paraphernalia, and sexual acts.

Church responds to allegations

The Ukrainian Church Eparchy of St. Josaphat released a statement addressing the allegations:

"Fr. Madeya was suspended from his priestly duties on February 8, 2024. The Eparchy will work diligently to recover any funds entrusted to Fr. Madeya that were lost. As matters develop, the Eparchy will keep its parishioners informed."

Investigators also allege Madeya stole nearly $250,000 from his mother.

"She was at an age where she would not have been able to manage her own finances," Sunday said.

Between the church, his mother, and unaccounted-for taxes, Madeya allegedly stole just over $740,000. His charges include theft by unlawful taking and financial exploitation of an older adult.

"This conduct is an egregious betrayal of public trust. Madeya was someone who was supposed to be of great wisdom and integrity," Sunday said.

Madeya faces extradition to Pennsylvania

Madeya was arrested late last week in Florida, where he has been living for a few years. The attorney general’s office said he will be extradited to Pennsylvania, and a preliminary hearing will be scheduled upon his return. 

Full Article & Source:
Former Pennsylvania priest accused of stealing $740,000 from church and mother 

South Carolina man accused of contractor fraud in Greene

A South Carolina man is accused of defrauding a Greene County couple of $2,400 while posing as an asphalt contractor.

Johnny Carroll, 43, of North Augusta, S.C., faces charges of financial exploitation of an older adult and theft by deception. Both were filed with Judge Thomas Ankrom Tuesday afternoon. 

Carroll allegedly approached Anetta and Thomas Neff in the driveway of their home in Morgan Township on Aug. 10.

Carroll claimed to be affiliated with D.B. Paving, which had paved her driveway the previous month, according to court documents.

Carroll, who identified himself as John Riley of Riley’s Asphalt, told Neff he was there to finish the job and apply a seal coat, the complaint said.

By the time the Neffs provided a check for $2,400, Riley’s crew of at least three people had already sprayed something on the driveway, the complaint said. The Neffs told investigators they doubt it was a sealant. 

The D.B. Paving owner said the company had no ties with Carroll, and he had recommended the Neffs call police, the complaint said.

Carroll was not in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Full Article & Source:
South Carolina man accused of contractor fraud in Greene  

Grandfather's Suicide After Deed Fraud Fuels Push to Revive Arizona Elder Bill

By Taylor Johnson 

A Mesa man says his grandfather signed away the deed to his home after a massage therapist isolated him from his family, and by spring 2024 the elder had died by suicide, leaving relatives convinced that Arizona law failed him before it ever had the chance to protect him. Now advocates and the lawmaker behind a failed bill say they will not let the issue drop, vowing to bring it back next session with a push for unanimous support.

The case belongs to Alan Street, whose grandfather fell victim to deed fraud after a massage therapist convinced him to hand over his home, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Street told the station that elderly people are targets for fraudsters, and his family says law enforcement and attorneys knew what was wrong and what was happening in his grandfather's case but could not stop it under existing law. The reason, according to the outlet's reporting, is that his grandfather did not fall under Arizona's current definition of a vulnerable adult.

Why the Law Couldn't Reach Him

Under current Arizona statute, a vulnerable adult is defined strictly as someone 18 or older who cannot protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or exploitation because of a physical or mental impairment, according to state guidance cited by AZ Law Now. That narrow standard means mentally competent seniors who are isolated, coerced, or manipulated into signing over real estate or bank accounts often fall outside the law's reach, leaving prosecutors with no clear path to charges even when the exploitation is obvious.

State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who represents Arizona Senate District 2, introduced Senate Bill 1512 in February to close that gap. The bill aimed to expand the legal definition of a vulnerable adult to include seniors 65 and older facing severe vision or hearing loss, cognitive impairment, recent loss of a caregiver or spouse, or extreme social isolation, and to fold elder financial protections directly into the state's theft laws, according to PoliScore. Bolick said people are preying on older senior citizens, per the FOX 10 report.

A Bill That Nearly Made It

The legislation reached its third reading in the Arizona House of Representatives before it failed to pass during the recent session, falling just short of Governor Katie Hobbs' desk. Both the Pinal County Attorney's Office and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office supported the legislation, the station's report notes, underscoring that the pushback wasn't coming from prosecutors themselves but from the bill simply running out of legislative runway.

Behind the bill was Malea Madrid, founder of Sun City West-based Consider It Done Seniors, which she started in 2021 to provide mobile home administrative assistance, financial account auditing, and scam interception for Maricopa County seniors, according to YourValley.net. Madrid drafted the legislation herself after a bank manager called her about red flags in the grandfather's case, then met with Bolick to bring it to the Legislature. She has said she exhausted her own resources trying to assist the case before the bill stalled.

A $4.3 Million Warning From Yavapai County

The case advocates keep pointing to as proof of the crisis unfolding right now is a Verde Valley woman in her 50s who lost $4.3 million over two months after fraudsters impersonating FBI and NYPD officers isolated her through fake Microsoft Teams meetings, forged federal documents, and threatened her with jail time before coercing her into transferring funds via Bitcoin, as Hoodline's earlier report detailed. That case sits alongside county-level numbers that already show the scale of the problem: unincorporated Yavapai County fielded nearly 550 fraud complaints in 2024, with roughly 250 victims losing a combined $5.4 million, an average loss of more than $22,000 per victim, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

Arizona's Senior Population Makes It a Prime Target

Statewide, the numbers have grown sharply worse. Arizona seniors 60 and older reported $343.98 million in total financial losses from elder fraud to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center across 9,834 victims in 2025, an 80% surge in losses compared with 2024's $191 million, and the state ranked fifth in the nation for overall elder fraud losses, with investment schemes accounting for $147 million of the total, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center as cited by the Health Care Services for Children with Special Needs senior resources page. Arizona's roughly 1.4 million residents aged 65 and older make up 18.7% of the state's 7.5 million people, one of the highest senior concentrations in the country, per the same source, citing Common Sense Institute data — a demographic reality that gives fraudsters an especially large pool of potential victims to work with in retirement hubs like Phoenix, Tucson, and Mesa.

Existing Oversight Has Limits Too

Arizona does have executive tools aimed at the problem. The Arizona Attorney General's Office runs a dedicated Elder Affairs Unit created under Attorney General Kris Mayes in 2023, which opened 25 criminal elder abuse cases in Fiscal Year 2024 and maintains an online Elder Abuse Registry tracking civil, criminal, and administrative actions against vulnerable adults, according to the office's own FY25 annual report. But even that registry has shown gaps: a December 2025 investigation found that Adult Protective Services confirmed a relative had exploited an Arizona senior with dementia by forging power-of-attorney documents and selling the family home during probate, yet legal loopholes kept that perpetrator off the state registry entirely.

What Comes Next

Madrid says she now plans to reach out to every legislator in an effort to secure unanimous passage of the bill when it returns. Advocates and families affected by elder fraud, including Street's, say they will keep pushing lawmakers to pass the legislation during the next session, arguing that the gap in Arizona's vulnerable adult statute has already cost real families real people. Whether the revived measure fares differently against the same legislative pressures that stalled SB 1512 this year remains an open question heading into the next session. 

Full Article & Source:
Grandfather's Suicide After Deed Fraud Fuels Push to Revive Arizona Elder Bill 

Medical guardian shortage contributing to hospital patient bottlenecks

by Alison Kuznitz

Gov. Maura Healey wants to alleviate hospital discharge bottlenecks that are contributing to hefty healthcare spending, but a recent report found Massachusetts has a shortage of guardians who are empowered to make medical decisions on behalf of incapacitated patients.

Patients may be medically stable enough to leave an acute care hospital and transition to other settings, such as a skilled nursing facility, but that process can face significant roadblocks if they're unable to make medical decisions for themselves and also lack a surrogate decision maker, guardian or advance directive.

These "unrepresented individuals" are at "high risk for inappropriate medical care, including overtreatment, undertreatment, and delayed discharges from hospital facilities," according to the report from the Department of Public Health and Eastern Research Group, Inc. This vulnerable cohort typically involves people who are experiencing homelessness or serious mental illness, lack a "willing or appropriate" healthcare surrogate, and have outlived their loved ones and friends.

Without a decision maker assigned, unrepresented patients cannot be discharged until a court appoints a guardian — creating a complicated, lengthy logjam that can prevent other sick Bay Staters from accessing hospital beds. People interviewed for the study, including those representing patients, hospitals and the legal system, said they believe that "Massachusetts relies on a limited and shrinking pool of professional or pro bono Guardians, usually attorneys or retired attorneys, to fill this gap."

"As a result of the study, DPH finds there is a significant need for qualified professional guardians to give informed medical consent for persons who are unable to afford these services otherwise and that increasing payment to Qualified Professional Guardians, coupled with other recommended legislative changes, could substantially reduce delays in hospital discharges and expedite access to long-term and preventative care," the report said.

 The core factor driving the guardianship shortage for indigent patients is that compensation is "inadequate or nonexistent." The cases are also "often complex and require a considerable investment of time on the Guardian's behalf to be executed appropriately and ethically, a fact that further discourages Guardians from taking on these cases," the report said.

Attorneys searching for pro bono guardians on behalf of acute care hospitals can end up contacting four to 13 guardians before finding someone willing to take on the case, according to the report. State agencies including the Department of Developmental Services, Department of Mental Health, and the Executive Office of Aging and Independence help their clients find guardianship services. AGE pays the largest public amount — about $893 monthly per client— for adult protective services, the report said.

Many guardians are family members, but they can also be social workers, therapists, psychiatrists, medical professionals, attorneys and retired judges, said Wynn Gerhard, elder justice fellow at the Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute.

Backed by private funding, the institute has a pilot project for public guardians in Suffolk, Norfolk and Plymouth counties. The pilot's four social workers can take up to 20 cases, and they regularly visit their clients and accompany them to doctor's appointments, Gerhard said.

"The cases that we get are very complex," Gerhard said. "People have multiple medical and psychological and mental health issues, and they have nobody else in their life. You don't know them when you get the nomination or the appointment, and you have to figure out who they are, where they came from."

She added, "Our goal is to keep people in the least restrictive setting — not a nursing home as the first instance, but community placements, group homes. And we have been very successful."

Guardians of MassHealth members in nursing facilities can earn $50 an hour, with their annual payments capped at $1,200. The report said the payments were established in 1999 and would need to be increased to $94 per hour and $2,256 annually to keep up with inflation. Gerhard said the payments are a "bureaucratic nightmare" to secure and are therefore "pretty useless."

Mandated under a 2024 long-term care oversight law, the report was supposed to be due by July 31, 2025. But the report was filed with the Legislature a year late, meaning its recommendations to boost pay for guardians, ensure training and monitoring of guardians, and enact a default surrogate statute will likely need to wait until next session for potential action.

Meanwhile, the governor's Health Care Affordability Work Group released initial recommendations this month that put new scrutiny on "transitions of care." Solutions would ease the more than 2,000 patients on any given day who are stuck in acute care hospitals.

The Healey administration said it will "explore action to modernize surrogate decision-making and health care proxy laws." Healthcare proxies are legal documents that allow individuals to specifically designate people to make medical decisions on their behalf once a physician decides they're unable to make or communicate their own choices.

Spokespeople for Healey and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services did not answer State House News Service questions about potential actions and changes that are under consideration.

At Cape Cod Hospital last Monday, Healey said the goal is to get patients out of the hospital as "quickly as possible" once they've received care. The governor also mentioned implementing a standardized discharge form and eliminating "needless paperwork."

The report said Massachusetts is one of four states without a default surrogate statute, which enable close family members and friends to make healthcare decisions for an incapacitated patient without needing to seek a court-appointed guardian. Adopting the statute here could reduce demand for guardianships and free up court time for cases involving unrepresented individuals.

Bills (H 1692 / S 1047) from Rep. Carole Fiola and Sen. Cindy Creem to allow surrogates to make certain medical determinations — such as patient transfers to nursing homes — are stalled in the House and Senate Ways and Means committees. In a summary, Creem's office said the existing legal process to appoint a guardian and then seek judicial approval for patient transfers can translate into weeks of delayed care that "generate unnecessary health care costs and necessitate an inefficient allocation of hospital resources."

The Massachusetts Medical Society supports the bills, saying the "need for reform has become even clearer in recent years." Lawmakers wrapped scheduled formal sessions on July 31, making it unlikely the legislation would advance for floor action.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, many younger patients presented to the hospital unexpectedly and without a health care proxy," the society said in written testimony last year. "In the worst cases, those patients quickly became incapacitated. In urgent scenarios, the lack of surrogate consent delays care decisions and strains already overburdened hospital resources."

The DPH report estimates there's roughly 3,100 to 4,950 unrepresented individuals who could require public guardianship services every year. Services can cost on average $10,000 to $11,000 per client annually, which the report extrapolates would have a potential fiscal impact of between $31 million and $54.5 million on MassHealth.

"Spending this money would save the state money because it would keep people out of expensive long-term care and also be much better for patients to get out of hospitals quicker, and would save money as well and free up the bed," Gerhard said.

The report does not specify a funding source to bolster payments for public guardians. MassHealth already dominates the state budget, and health officials are looking to trim spending on certain long-term care services that are not required by the federal government ahead of major funding losses.

Gerhard called for a state agency to monitor and run a public guardian program, plus the creation of a trust fund seeded with payments from hospitals and other state funding streams. Beyond expanding the guardianship pool, she emphasized the importance of tracking quality-of-life outcomes, such as whether patients were ultimately connected to housing and other services and avoided multiple return trips to the emergency department.

While the report says no federal revenue would be available to cover MassHealth fee-for-service guardians, Gerhard said she thinks that conclusion is wrong.

"I mean, other states do have much more robust Medicaid payment for guardians, despite what the report says," Gerhard said. "I think Washington state does and New Mexico — they do get much more robust funding for guardians directly." 

Full Article & Source:
Medical guardian shortage contributing to hospital patient bottlenecks 

Moberly woman accused of stealing $22,785 from disabled person’s funds

by Jennifer Weiser

A Moberly woman has been charged with the financial exploitation of a disabled person.

Prosecutors charged Angelic G. Nichols with one count of Financial Exploitation Of An Elder/Disabled Person.

Court documents state that Nichols has been the representative payee for a person with mild intellectual disabilities since February 2024.

The documents state that between December 2024 and March 2026, Nichols moved $22,785.23 from the victim’s account to accounts that she controlled.

Officials also said that Nichols took $700 a month to pay her personal bills.

Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Nichols’ arrest. 

Full Article & Source:
Moberly woman accused of stealing $22,785 from disabled person’s funds 

Caught on cam: Complete stranger helps older woman who fell in the road

A Martin County man was driving home from work when he spotted a woman in the road who appeared to need help. He didn't hesitate and quickly lent her a hand.

by Rachael Perry 

STUART, Fla. — A Martin County man was driving home from work Monday when he spotted a woman in the road who appeared to need help. He didn't hesitate and quickly lent her a hand.

“Are you OK?”

Ryan Carter was almost home when he noticed something in the road.

"I saw something in the distance. It looked rather odd," Carter told WPBF.

He soon realized it was a person.

Having recently taken a class on Florida's Good Samaritan law, which protects people who voluntarily provide emergency assistance to others, he hit record on his Meta glasses.

"I saw that it was a serious situation at hand and I did what I think anybody should do in a situation like that and helped," Carter said.

He stopped to check on the woman, calling out to her while asking if she was OK and needed help.

He can be heard on the video asking, "What do you need from me? Need me to pick you up?"

The woman responded, telling him she was going to try to stand up in a minute or so. However, they both realized she was stuck, lying on top of her walker in a water-filled pothole.

“I saw somebody in a desperate situation, and I just wanted to be the hand that she could depend on," Carter said.

He didn't just help her up; Carter also got her some water and gave her a ride home.

But the encounter didn't end there. He later called to check on her.

"And she has been perfectly fine, and I'm actually looking forward to being reacquainted with her here in the near future," he said. 

Carter's good friend, Johnnie Owens, eventually posted the video to social media where he wrote:

"I know he's not going to like this, but he will get over it. Today, Ryan nonchalantly told me he helped an elderly woman, but after I seen the video, it was no doubt that he didn’t only help her, he saved her life. This guy underplays everything he does (especially for the kids) and doesn’t expect anything in return. This is not a post to give you credit for doing a good deed. This is a post to give you credit for being a Good Human Being."

But Carter said he doesn't think what he did was anything extraordinary. Instead, he believes helping someone in need should be instinct.

"Simple acts of kindness should be normal. Just instinctively. You do what's right at all times, and most importantly, you do right because it feels right to do right. You don't do it expecting something in return," he said.

A passion for helping others

Carter's commitment to helping people doesn't stop with a stranger on the side of the road.

He runs Hand 2 Hand, a nonprofit focused on helping young people in Martin County.

"We provide mentorship opportunities for them, educational opportunities, and also get them involved in the community," Carter said. 

Carter's nonprofit, Hand 2 Hand, is also planning a major alumni basketball event in the coming months.

"Positivity begets positivity"

Carter said the woman he stopped to help left an impression on him with her resilience and determination to get back up.

"I hope Miss Minnie invites me to her next triathlon because I could tell in that brief interaction with her that she is a force to be reckoned with," he said.

For Carter, the attention that came with the social media post wasn't expected, but he says he's thankful for the love and support the community has given.

"We need more positivity. It's something that I say to my son all the time. Positivity begets positivity," he said. 

Full Article & Source:
Caught on cam: Complete stranger helps older woman who fell in the road