Woman charged with abuse, neglect after elderly man found in 'deplorable' conditions

Mariah Funderburk

Police say an elderly Geneva County man is being evaluated at a local hospital after being found bedridden and his niece has been charged with financial exploitation of the elderly as well as abuse and neglect.

Mariah Funderburk, 23, of Kinston, remains in the Geneva County Jail with bail set at $70,000.

According to authorities, the man had been the subject of numerous welfare checks and most recently was found in extremely poor living conditions.

“Before the victim’s wife passed away, she was his caregiver,” said Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms. “Following her death, the niece took over as his caregiver due to the fact that his health had declined. We had received calls in the past and I would have deputies go and perform a welfare check on the victim, and the victim stated he was fine and everything was okay. Calls continued and I would continue to send deputies as well as representatives from the department of human resources.

"Over time his power had been turned off, bills were never paid and more complaints from the community were brought to my attention. He was not fine. The victim actually receives a pretty good amount of money and it would all be gone in 10 days or so," Helms added.

Helms said the man was most recently found suffering from bed sores and lying in his own waste with medical equipment attached that had been unattended.

“This man was found in deplorable conditions," Helms said.

Helms is currently reaching out to family members to locate a caregiver for the man.

“The ones I have contacted are not able to physically care for him. If we can’t find a family member, the victim will be placed in a nursing home. The good news, at this point, is the victim is recovering and getting the care he needs in the hospital.”

Full Article & Source:
Woman charged with abuse, neglect after elderly man found in 'deplorable' conditions