A CT nursing home is closing. Scores of employees were told they will soon lose their jobs.

By Kenneth R. Gosselin

A Trumbull nursing home will layoff nearly 180 employees, according to a filing with the state, a decision that follows plans to close the facility in early August.

St. Joseph’s Center, a nursing home with 269 licensed beds, told the state labor department in a recent letter that the layoffs of 179 employees — including 76 certified nursing aides and 53 licensed practical nurses — are effective Aug. 9, the date of the closure.

The status and the number of residents remaining at the nursing home could not be immediately be determined.

Pennsylvania-based Genesis HealthCare, the parent of St. Joseph’s, did not address the layoffs or a recent consent order involving the nursing home when asked for comment Monday.

“I am confirming that we received your inquiry earlier this morning,” Neddie Brennan, a Genesis spokesperson, said, in an email. “I’ll follow up with you if we have a comment or response to share.”

In March, St. Joseph’s signed a consent order with the state health department after the state issued notice of violations following an inspection a month earlier.

According to the consent order, the violations included the facility having just two working elevators. State regulations require three “hospital-type” elevators for nursing homes with 201 to 350 beds located above the main floor. Other building systems problems were noted in the inspection, including not being able to regulate steam heat within the building.

In addition, water samples collected at the nursing home contained Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires disease. Legionnaires disease is a type of serious pneumonia that can cause respiratory failure, septic shock and acute kidney failure, the consent order stated.

The order also noted that of about 254 sinks in the building, only five were operating due to a lack of filters for Legionella.

“There was only one operational sink in the kitchen, and one operational sink for each resident floor, and there were no operational showers in the facility…” the consent order stated.

The state’s order outlines specific timelines for correcting the deficiencies found in the inspection. 

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A CT nursing home is closing. Scores of employees were told they will soon lose their jobs. 

Grand Larceny Investigation Leads to Arrest in Chemung County

Press Release

On February 25, 2025, the New York State Police at SP Horseheads were contacted regarding a report of a case of elder financial abuse involving the theft of nearly $92,000 from the victim's bank accounts.

Following a thorough investigation, it was determined the suspect, Steven R. Padgett, age 57, of North Carolina, unlawfully accessed the bank accounts of his elderly parents, making fraudulent purchases and unauthorized ATM withdrawals totaling $91,995.37. The victims were identified as vulnerable elderly individuals.

On June 6, 2025, Padgett was arrested for Grand Larceny 2nd (C Felony). Padgett was taken into custody without incident and processed at SP Horseheads.

He was arraigned in the Village of Horseheads Court, where a full Stay Away Order of Protection was issued on behalf of the victim. Padgett was released on his recognizance (ROR) and is scheduled to reappear in court on August 13, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. 

Source:
Grand Larceny Investigation Leads to Arrest in Chemung County 

Salt Lake County officials want your help to combat rising elder abuse

By: Katie McKellar

Faced with rising numbers of elder abuse and exploitation cases while also expecting that many more are going unreported, Salt Lake County officials want to raise awareness of the issue and encourage Utahns to look out for their aging neighbors and loved ones. 

“The way we treat the elderly in our community says something about the values that we espouse. The world we live in today was built by those who are now some of the most vulnerable in our society, we owe it to them to offer respect, care, and justice when they have been made victims of abuse, exploitation, or neglect,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a recent news release. 

This week, on Wednesday, Salt Lake County senior centers will host Elder Abuse Awareness events for Elder Abuse Awareness Month in June. The county’s Aging and Adult Services website offers information on where to find its senior centers. 

“Prosecution is only part of the solution,” Gill added. “We need families, neighbors, and care providers to help prevent abuse before it starts. Our seniors deserve to live with dignity and safety, not fear and isolation.”

Elder abuse affects 1 in 10 older adults, but often goes unreported, according to Gill’s office. The National Council on Aging points to one study, which estimated that only 1 in 24 cases of abuse are reported to authorities. 

Salt Lake County records also indicate cases of elder abuse or neglect have ticked up in recent years. In 2023, county prosecutors filed 23 charges alleging intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult in 2023. That’s compared to 37 in 2024, according to the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office. 

From 2023 to 2025, Gill’s office has filed 25 charges for second-degree felony aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, plus 12 second-degree felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult charges. There were also 60 charges of class A misdemeanor intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult filed in the same time period. 

County officials also urged Utahns to recognize signs of possible abuse, neglect or exploitation. Red flags include:

• Unexplained bruises or welts
• Multiple bruises in various states of healing
• Unexplained fractures and abrasions
• If a person becomes withdrawn, passive or fearful
• Reports or suspicions of sexual abuse
• Dehydration
• Missing glasses, dentures or other aides if usually worn
• Malnourishment
• Inappropriate or soiled clothing
• Over or under medicated
• Deserted, abandoned, left unattended or socially isolated 
• Missing possessions
• Forced to sell their house, change their will, or sign over control of finances
• Overcharged for home repairs
• Inadequate living environment
• Unable to afford food, clothing, or social activities

“Ending elder abuse starts with awareness — and with connection. By reaching out, listening, and standing together, we can protect our older adults and ensure no one faces aging alone or in silence,” said Afton January, Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services Communications manager.

Visiting a local senior center is also a “powerful way to stay connected and engaged,” county officials said. “These centers provide social support, nutrition, activities, and wellness resources that help protect against isolation and neglect. You can also be sure you are checking on them regularly, not just over an audio phone call, but through physical visits or video phone calls so you can see them and perhaps notice any signs of abuse or neglect.”

Gill’s office also reminded that Utah is a “mandatory reporter state.” That means if any person who has reason to believe a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected or exploited, they must immediately notify Adult Protective Services or the nearest law enforcement office. 

For emergencies, call 911. You can also report suspected abuse directly to Utah’s vulnerable adult abuse hotline, which is 800-371-7897, or on the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ website. 

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Salt Lake County officials want your help to combat rising elder abuse 

Shelby County Caregiver Indicted, Charged with Stealing from Vulnerable Adults

SHELBY COUNTY – A Memphis caregiver has been indicted and arrested, following an investigation by special agents with the TBI Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

In July 2024, following a referral from Adult Protective Services, agents began investigating allegations of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults who were residing at a Shelby County care facility. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that from November of 2022 to July of 2024, Tareka Lashun Smith (DOB 9/3/1980), a supervisor and caregiver, used the bank cards of 21 victims making unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals worth more than $42,000.

On June 26th, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Smith with Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult. On July 1^st, Smith was booked into the Shelby County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

NOTE: The TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $10,782,912 for federal Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $3,594,302 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, is funded by the State of Tennessee. 

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Shelby County Caregiver Indicted, Charged with Stealing from Vulnerable Adults 

1 arrested after elderly man beaten to death in Marshall County

A man allegedly killed his girlfriend’s father in Marshall County. 

Source:
1 arrested after elderly man beaten to death in Marshall County 

Caregiver Sentenced to Prison for Theft from Elderly Woman in Sierra County

On June 26, 2025, Jason Castle, 48, of Sierra County, was sentenced for felony theft from an elder by a caregiver and a misdemeanor conviction of identity theft. The case involved the unlawful taking of funds from an elderly Sierra City woman under his care, between January 2023 and October 25, 2023.

 

Castle was sentenced to the mid-term of three years in state prison, to be served as two years in custody and one year on mandatory supervision under California’s realignment statutes. He was remanded into custody immediately following sentencing.

 

As part of the sentence, Castle was ordered to pay $4,340.98 in restitution to the victim’s family. The Sierra County District Attorney’s Office emphasized the serious breach of trust in this case, as Castle was acting in a caregiver role at the time of the offenses.

 

This conviction serves as a reminder that Sierra County law enforcement and prosecutors will aggressively pursue those who exploit vulnerable members of our community.

 

For further information, please contact:

Sierra County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: (530) 289-3269

 

Full Article & Source:
Caregiver Sentenced to Prison for Theft from Elderly Woman in Sierra County 

Caregiver charged with stealing over $40K from vulnerable adults

Story by Deja Davis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman was arrested and indicted after she stole money from over a dozen vulnerable adults at a Shelby County care facility, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

Tareka Smith, 44, is charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

In July 2024, TBI said it started investigating a referral from the Adult Protective Services about allegations of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults residing at a Shelby County care facility.

During the investigation, Tareka Lashun Smith, a supervisor and caregiver, was accused of using the bank cards of 21 victims and making unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals worth more than $42,000.

TBI agents say they developed information that Smith had been taking the money from November 2022 until July 2024.

On June 26, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned an indictment, charging Smith. She was booked into jail the following week.

Tareka Smith is currently held in jail on a $150,000 bond. 

Full Article & Source:
Caregiver charged with stealing over $40K from vulnerable adults 

Two men indicted for $86,000 fraud scheme in Prince George’s Co.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced indictments Thursday of two men charged with defrauding a 59-year-old county resident out of $86,000.

Jackson and county police said Zheng Hui Xie, 30, of Flushing, New York, and Jianwei Wang, 27, of Monterey Park, California, impersonated Federal Trade Commission officials in order to convince the resident, who was not named, that there had been fraudulent activity on her Apple ID and that several accounts were compromised.

The resident received a text message on April 28 about a large purchase made on her account, and called a number provided. The person who answered claimed to be with a fraud department, and transferred the woman to an individual who claimed to be an FTC agent.

On two separate occasions, the resident was asked to withdraw money from her bank in order to secure her money. She handed the money over to the fake agents who came to her home.

When the resident received another phone call May 15 from an unknown number, and was told to withdraw $24,000, she contacted police. On May 23, investigators with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit arrested Xie and Wang.

Both men are charged with two counts of theft, one count of theft scheme and one count of conspiracy to commit theft. Police said the men could face additional charges, along with others who may have helped them defraud other residents in financial schemes that may have netted a combined $700,000.

Although senior citizens are mostly preyed upon in similar schemes, Jackson said scammers also target those who are “very responsible.”

“If somebody texts you and says, ‘If you don’t pay this money immediately, then your license is going to be suspended,’ most of us that are responsible don’t want our license suspended,” she said. “Our message to our residents and others is to make sure that you just don’t respond.”

If others believe they may be been defrauded, they are asked to call police at 301-352-1200.

Last month, AARP Maryland kicked off a campaign to stop financial exploitation on older Americans.

Federal Trade Commission data showed that there were 44,195 fraud reports from Maryland residents in 2024, for a total loss of nearly $202 million, up from the 44,168 fraud reports and $168 million in the state in 2023.

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Two men indicted for $86,000 fraud scheme in Prince George’s Co. 

Rochester Man Sentenced for Stealing Thousands of Dollars From Vulnerable Adult

By TJ Leverentz 

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man has been sentenced for bullying a vulnerable adult into giving him thousands of dollars. 

21-year-old Bill Gum Benjamin was charged last fall with three felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. 

Under a plea agreement that was finalized in May, the criminal complaint was amended and he admitted to a felony theft charge.

Rochester Man Avoids Prison for Stealing Thousands of Dollars from Vulnerable Adult

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office began investigating the case after receiving a report of a theft. A woman told investigators that Benjamin had been forcing her son, who the criminal complaint says is autistic, to give him money.

The victim's mother became involved after his phone was shut off for nonpayment and she examined her son's bank statements. She told investigators that she discovered his balance had dropped for more than $40,000 to nothing over the previous year, the charges say.

 

Benjamin complaint. Olmsted County Court

The complaint says the investigator spoke to the victim, who indicated he met Benjamin while working at a business in Southeast Rochester in 2023, and at some point, complied with the request from Benjamin for some money. 

The victim also stated that after a few more money requests, Benjamin began forcing the victim into his car and would physically push him around.

Benjamin would call the victim's bank to verify his account balance before driving the man to a bank branch in Southwest Rochester and forcing him to withdraw money, the charges say. 

The victim told law enforcement Benjamin would wait outside his workplace and follow him in his car almost every week on the day he was paid.

Benjamin complaint. Olmsted County Court

Benjamin was accused of taking more than $7700 from the victim in September 2023 and an additional $22,900 between October 2023 and the end of March last year.

It was also alleged that an additional $10,900 was taken by Benjamin between April and the end of September last year.

Benjamin was sentenced Monday to five years probation. He was also fined $500. 

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Rochester Man Sentenced for Stealing Thousands of Dollars From Vulnerable Adult