20-Year-Old Arrested For Participation In Elder Fraud

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Sonoma County for allegedly participating in an elder fraud scheme.

Yung-Wen Kuan was apprehended after attempting to collect $20,000 from a 78-year-old woman, who had previously been tricked into withdrawing a large sum of money under the guise of protecting her finances. The suspects, posing as bank and government officials, convinced the victim to hand over the money to Kuan.

This incident highlights the growing concern of elder fraud scams, with financial institutions like Redwood Credit Union observing an increase in such attempts.

The credit union urges customers to be cautious and verify the legitimacy of any unexpected calls or messages from financial institutions. The investigation into this scheme is ongoing, and authorities are encouraging anyone who may have been a victim to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Full Article & Source:
20-Year-Old Arrested For Participation In Elder Fraud

Seniors

As part of the Michigan Department of Attorney General's commitment to protecting seniors across the state, the Health Care Fraud Division is in place to hold health care providers accountable.

The Health Care Fraud Division also works in tandem with the Financial Crimes Division -- which houses the Elder Abuse Task Force -- on a number of legal actions.

The office also maintains a joint enforcement initiative with the Social Security Administration to protect residents of nursing homes from financial exploitation.

Health Care Fraud Division

The Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) exists to identify, prosecute, and prevent fraudulent activity by doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and other health care providers participating in the Medicaid program. Allegations of misappropriation of patient trust funds and identity theft in resident care facilities are also investigated. Taxpayer dollars provide health care to indigent patients and other recipients. It is vital that these dollars be effectively spent to help those in need. Fraud affects everyone - the recipients of care, the taxpayers who pay for it, and the overwhelming majority of providers who conscientiously provide quality care.

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Seniors

Social media restrictions to financial exploitation protections, these are Florida's new laws

Social media restrictions to financial exploitation protections, these are Florida's new laws in 2025

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Social media restrictions to financial exploitation protections, these are Florida's new laws

John Amos’ Son & Private Investigator React To His Sister Digging Into Their Dad’s Death (UPDATE)

By Cassandra S

John Amos passed away in August, but by the time his son Kelly Christopher announced his death, it had been over a month.  Since then, the actor’s daughter, Shannon Amos, has launched an inquiry into his passing and hired a lawyer to lead her fight.

“The family deserves to know the full circumstances surrounding Mr. Amos’ care and the events that led to his passing,” Shannon Amos’ lawyer reportedly said in a statement. “We are committed to pursuing all available avenues to ensure that these questions are answered.”

But Kelly is saying there’s no need for war, and a private investigator has said there’s been no sign of “foul play” in the actor’s death. Here’s the he-said-she-said between the siblings and what else has been reported on the family conflict.

K.C. Amos Responds To Sister’s Elder Abuse Allegations

As previously reported, K.C. revealed the death on October 1, but his dad had died on August 21. Additionally, he said the ‘Good Times’ actor passed from congestive heart failure in Los Angeles. He was 84.

Shannon’s lawyer, James H. Davis III, confirmed she hired legal help to look into her daddy’s death, per PEOPLE. She outright accused her brother of elder abuse for seemingly the second time. Shannon reportedly wants more information about her dad’s admission to Centinela Hospital and his condition at the time. She claimed someone falsely impersonating her dropped John off at the hospital. Shannon claims she’s asked for his medical records in three formal requests but has gotten no response.

Furthermore, she wants the LAPD and Adult Protective Services to provide summaries of their investigations into her past allegations of abuse involving John Amos.

Meanwhile, Kelly Christopher isn’t hesitating in shutting down his sister’s claims with his own receipts! He provided an explanation to PEOPLE about decisions made leading up to John Amos’ death. He claimed that John requested to go to Centinela Hospital due to trust in its medical staff. Additionally, he said his dad asked him not to contact other family members, and K.C. said he “honored his request.”

“Let me be clear and transparent. There has been no physical, financial, emotional, or psychological elder abuse or neglect committed against my father by me, Gene Brummett, or Belinda Foster,” K.C. said. “This has been documented by an independent investigation by Homeland Security Services, Inc, Adult Protective Services, and other law enforcement agencies. The reality is that he passed of natural causes at the age of 84 years old. Stop making it more than what it is.”

Kelly also hired a defense investigator to conduct a “comprehensive two-year investigation” into financial discrepancies, including missing money and stolen material goods from his dad in Colorado, Memphis, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. Ultimately, the investigator, Kevin Faler, said any and all charges against Kelly Christopher in New Jersey have been dismissed.

“The current allegations regarding foul play and elder abuse are frivolous,” Kevin Faler said. “John Amos was happy working and spending time with [K.C., Gene, and Belinda] writing, producing, and praying with them as a family and as his team. John passed from natural causes at the age of 84 years old. There was no foul play.”

Faler also cleared John Amos’ longtime manager, Belinda Foster, of any wrongdoing. “John told me Belinda was more of a daughter to him than his own biological daughter,” the investigator told PEOPLE.

Daughter Previously Questioned John Amos’ Safety

Shannon Amos’ death comes over a year after she claimed her dad was a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation and was hospitalized in critical condition. She made the allegations in a GoFundMe campaign, claiming John had called her from Memphis hospital. Shannon did not specify who was executing the alleged abuse but claimed one of the persons was a caregiver. Her GoFundMe campaign sought $500,000 for alleged legal expenses, care, and aftercare.

But, John Amos later denied his daughter’s abuse claims in a video message from the hospital bed. The actor cited confusion about the fundraiser. He also seemed to suggest that if anyone were to abuse him, it’d be Shannon. He said that they had issues leading up to his hospitalization, saying his daughter took advantage of him.

“She would be the primary suspect — if you would,” John said. “I don’t know if that’s the right term to use or not. But she’s the one that I would attribute my elderly abuse to. It’s definitely a case of elderly abuse.”

Additionally, his manager Belinda said his hospitalization was due to problems with his heart caused by fluid filling his lower body and abdomen. However, they both denied that his medical scare was life-threatening.

Shannon Amos has not publicly reacted to her brother’s response to her investigation.

Full Article & Source:
John Amos’ Son & Private Investigator React To His Sister Digging Into Their Dad’s Death (UPDATE)

See Also:
'Good Times' star John Amos dead at 84

New state laws protect most vulnerable citizens – kids and seniors | Opinion

One affects children and social media, others protect seniors from financial exploitation

By John Grant

Most of us would agree the role of government, whether national, state, or local, should be to protect and serve its citizens. A new set of Florida laws that go into effect on January 1, 2025, are designed to do just that.

A few stand out for their ability to secure and defend the state’s most vulnerable – kids and seniors.

John Grant

House Bill 3 prohibits social media companies from granting accounts to anyone younger than 14. This law was initially supported by parents and grandparents, like me, because its intent is to shelter kids from a number of nefarious online characters including predators, scammers and bullies.

While part of the bill is being challenged on First Amendment grounds, ultimately the meat of the bill keeps kids under 14 off social media platforms and less likely to become a victim.Most of us would agree the role of government, whether national, state, or local, should be to protect and serve its citizens. A new set of Florida laws that go into effect on January 1, 2025, are designed to do just that.

Two other bills taking effect will insulate and better serve seniors from financial exploitation.

Under Senate Bill 556, financial institutions can delay disbursements or transactions of funds from an account if there is reasonable belief that exploitation is involved. Financial institutions are then required to conduct an internal review and notify the state. This series of safeguards is intended to keep predators at bay.

House Bill 1093 updates Florida’s fiduciary accounting laws bringing them into the 21st Century. This law codifies the Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal ACT (FUFIPA) replacing the Florida Uniform Principal and Income ACT (FUPIA).

I know that sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but as an estate planner I can tell you this legislation requires more responsibility from the fiduciary accounting process and allows for more flexibility in individualized estate planning. It is long overdue.

I for one am grateful Florida lawmakers have their priorities in check with a clear focus on citizens, young and old.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the legislators accomplish in the upcoming session in spring of 2025.

John Grant is a retired Florida state senator and president of Seniors Across America.

Full Article & Source:
New state laws protect most vulnerable citizens – kids and seniors | Opinion

State Rep. Gidley seeks to disqualify elder abusers, exploiters from receiving inheritance

by Craig Monger

State Rep. Mark Gidley (R-Hokes Bluff) is seeking to remove the ability of individuals to receive benefits or inheritance from people they have been convicted of abusing or financially exploiting.

Current law prohibits a person from receiving any benefits under someone's will or intestate succession if they are feloniously responsible for their death. Intestate succession describes when the state distributes assets to the surviving family if no will exists. The prohibition also applies to contracts.

House Bill 66 (HB66) would provide that any individual who is convicted of elder abuse or financial exploitation of an elderly person may not receive any benefits under the abused or exploited individual's will or through intestate succession. It would also cause a person convicted of abuse to lose any property interest in any joint venture held with the abused or exploited individual.

If convicted, a person would not be allowed to collect life insurance, inheritance, property or collect on any contracts made with the person they were convicted of abusing or exploiting.

According to the bill, an individual will be deemed to have abused another if the individual is convicted of elder abuse and neglect in the first or second degree or financial exploitation of an elderly person in the first or second degree.

Full Article & Source:
State Rep. Gidley seeks to disqualify elder abusers, exploiters from receiving inheritance

Explore Jefferson: Area Woman Drained Elderly Mother’s Accounts to Pay for Casino Trips, Personal Debt

by Gant Team

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) — An area woman has been charged with financially exploiting her elderly mother and stealing over $150,000.00 through her role as power of attorney, according to Punxsutawney-based State Police.

Court records filed on December 20, 2024, indicate 56-year-old Kelly Jo Wright, of Ridgway, faces the following criminal charges:

– Financial Exploitation of an Older Adult or Care-Dependent Person, Felony 2
– Theft by Deception-False Impression, Felony 2
– Theft by Deception-Prevent Acquisition of Information, Felony 2
– Theft by Deception-Failure to Correct, Felony 2

According to PSP Punxsutawney, the investigation began when Wright’s sister reported suspected theft in September 2023.

Medical records show the victim has been treated for dementia since 2020, with her condition listed as “moderate,” making her vulnerable to exploitation, police noted.

State Police Trooper Michael C. Malloy’s investigation revealed that Wright became power of attorney for her mother in March 2022, according to a criminal complaint, and Wright allegedly proceeded to drain her accounts through ATM withdrawals, gambling expenditures, and payments of personal debts over an 18-month time period, beginning around March 2022 to approximately September 19, 2023.

It was learned in the investigation that Wright allegedly spent thousands at casinos and gambling establishments, including businesses in Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville, where she was reportedly gambling up to three to five times per week. Additionally, investigators obtained Wright’s gambling records from Seneca Casino in Salamanca, New York, showing net losses of over $17,000.00 in 2022 and over $7,000.00 in 2023, according to the complaint.

The victim’s monthly income included Social Security benefits, her ex-husband’s pension payments, and IRA deposits, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Trooper Malloy learned that Wright surrendered her mother’s $123,000.00 IRA against financial advisors’ recommendations, then withdrew over $106,000.00 in cash within 23 days, the complaint continues.

The Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging had previously investigated in April 2022 after receiving a referral about possible exploitation. During their month-and-a-half investigation, protective services workers made home visits and exchanged correspondence with the victim. Wright claimed she was using the IRA money to build a home addition for her mother — renovations that police believe never occurred, the complaint notes.

According to the complaint, the investigation revealed that Wright was operating a rescue horse farm, caring for more than 30 horses, donkeys, dogs, and cats. It was noted there are substantial costs that are associated with maintaining such an operation.

According to the complaint, Wright stated her only source of income was her monthly Social Security benefit in the amount of approximately $1,600.00.

A preliminary hearing for Wright is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025.

It was also noted in the complaint that the case is further complicated by a separate theft charge against Wright involving a male victim, where she allegedly received transfers totaling nearly $200,000.00 in April 2023, the complaint states.

Full Article & Source:
Explore Jefferson: Area Woman Drained Elderly Mother’s Accounts to Pay for Casino Trips, Personal Debt

Rome Man Jailed for Beating Elderly Man

One of Floyd County’s “Most Wanted”, Nicholas Augustus King, 40 was arrested this week after he was accused of attacking and beating an elderly Rome man.

Reports said that King is accused of hitting the victim on top of the head which caused deep lacerations requiring stitches.

The incident occurred at a home on Dublin Drive.

King is charged with aggravated battery, exploitation and intimidation of the elderly and probation violation.

Full Article & Source:
Rome Man Jailed for Beating Elderly Man

Wendy Williams' Conservatorship In Question Again After Viral Video

By Kim LaCapria 

Former talk show host and iconic DJ Wendy Williams made headlines recently after a "rare public appearance" at her son Kevin Jr.'s graduation – due to her questionable conservatorship – and a new video of Wendy during that outing subsequently went viral, amplifying fan concerns.

The question of what exactly is up with Wendy has been percolating all year — back in February, Lifetime struggled to and ultimately aired a two-part documentary, entitled Where Is Wendy Williams?

It focused in large part on Wendy Williams' conservatorship, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2022, was triggered by her bank, Wells Fargo:

"The chain of events that culminated [in May 2022] with the installment of a financial guardian over Wendy Williams‘ finances started with a simple request from the TV personality to check her bank statements, according to her attorney, La’Shawn Thomas.

"Williams, suspecting misconduct by her financial advisor, wanted to switch banks and needed her most recent statements to do so.

"When Wells Fargo refused, it claimed in a petition for guardianship that Williams is an 'incapacitated person.' The bank argued that she’s the 'victim of undue influence and financial exploitation.'"

We didn't hear much about Wendy at all from mid-2022 until February of this year, when the Lifetime documentary raised questions about her health and conservatorship.

As we recently reported in the context of Kevin Jr.'s graduation in Miami, Wendy's family members have repeatedly contested her guardianship, and her sister Winnie said:

"We cannot reach out to [Wendy], but she can reach out to us. And she is in a healing place emotionally. She's not the person that you see in this film."

Sabrina Morrissey, Wendy's guardian, attempted to block the release of Where Is Wendy Williams?, though it ultimately aired, and she and Lifetime are still debating it legally.

Days before it premiered in February, Wendy's guardian issued a press release claiming that her ward had been "officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)" in 2023, and the press release was attributed to "Wendy Williams."

In November, People indicated that Wendy's conservators had then-recently claimed she was "'cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated.'"

But on December 23, after Wendy appeared at Kevin Jr.'s graduation, Charlamagne Tha God shared an Instagram Reel depicting a very alert and engaged Wendy at a post-graduation celebration.

In the comments, Kevin Jr. pleaded for his mother's release from the conservatorship, which he said was harming her mental health:

"While I’m here quick update on my mom. She’s sober and wants to come home.

"We’re fighting to make that happen because Isolation is killing her faster than anything else."

Yet another video of Wendy began circulating on Christmas, and it too seemed to depict the Wendy we all know.

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, the We In Miami podcast shared an Instagram Reel featuring Wendy.

Much like in the clip linked above, Wendy did not seem incapacitated or in any way diminished — the nature of a conservatorship like Wendy's is such that it is inherently not transparent, but Wendy seemed very much like herself:

A caption for the video tagged Kevin Jr., and it read: "Wendy Williams reveals dissatisfaction with her caretakers during her visit for her son Kevin’s graduation. The problem was over the coordination of Wendy’s departure from the graduation dinner. Kevin recently shared that his Mom wants to come home. 🙏🙏 Let’s discuss... @topfloor_kev."

The clip seems to start mid-argument, but a visibly annoyed Wendy, speaking about her mobility scooter, says to a caretaker:

"And then you — and then both of you walked away, leaving my s*** in the middle of the street like this.

"Just get the car, please. Make sure it’s the right car."

Someone off camera, a We In Miami host, asks Wendy what happened, and she very clearly explains that her caretakers "got the wrong car."

In doing so, Wendy says they also left her mobility scooter unattended in the street, and she continues:

Leaving my most precious — this cost a f******mint.

According to We In Miami, Wendy also didn't want to use the mobility scooter after leaving a restaurant and preferred to walk — but her caretakers insisted upon it, perhaps to make her appear frailer than she is.

Wendy also told We In Miami that the caretakers are paid by her, but she felt they were doing a poor job, and both she and her family were frustrated by the situation.

Several Instagram commenters largely remarked on how not-incapacitated Wendy appeared, and one said:

"I bet that bozo Guardian hates this trip haa been documented. Great. A full exposé is in order. Wendy, despite any ailments, looks and sounds good. I pray she's able to be reunited with her family in 2025."

Another remarked: "Wendy don't sound incapacitated to me. She knows exactly what’s going on. She should be with her family. #FREEWENDY"

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams' Conservatorship In Question Again After Viral Video

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Wendy Williams

What does legally incapacitated mean? Wendy Williams berates her caretaker for leaving her mobility scooter unattended on the street

By Jenel Treza Albuquerque

Wendy Williams ripped into her caretakers for leaving her stranded without her mobility scooter after her son's college graduation dinner last week. Per TMZ, the incident was caught on camera by the We In Miami Podcast crew.

In the footage uploaded on Wednesday, a visibly disgruntled Williams can be seen accusing her caretakers of leaving her scooter unattended on the street. The 60-year-old was attending her son's convocation, as Kevin Jr. received his diploma from Florida International University.

Wendy Williams, who was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023, has been declared legally incapacitated. Per the Ashmore Law Firm's official website,

"An incapacitated person means a person under the age of eighteen (18) years, or an adult individual who is unable to provide food, clothing, or shelter or unable to manage their financial affairs. An individual may be declared medically incapacitated, but that has no legal effect. Until there is a finding of legal incapacity, that individual maintains all of their civil rights and enjoys all of the same privileges of a fully capacitated individual."

---

Wendy Williams berates her caretakers for alleged inadequate care: Here's what we know

In the snippet, Wendy Williams can be seen sitting in her scooter, surrounded by friends and family, as she yells at her team:

"And then both of you walked away leaving my s**t in the middle of the street like this. Just get the car please. Make sure it's the right car."

When the cameraman asked Williams "Wendy what happened? What they do?" she expressed her unhappiness with the crew for seemingly bringing around the wrong car to pick her up:

"They got the wrong car, so I knocked on the door and it was totally the wrong car. They left my scooter as they walked over there. Leaving my most precious, most - this cost a f***ing mint motherf*****. They just left my s**t out there."

A fuming Wendy then decided to take matters into her own hands as she walked out of the restaurant, without her mobility scooter. The footage then cuts to Williams yelling at her crew once again:

"Get the car over here, not over there, so I can go easily into the street to - for the car. They supposed to be ordering the car, that's what you're supposed to be doing. They wanna work for me, that's what they're doing. They're making money from me, get the Godd*** car.''

At the end of the video, the podcast host, Stunt Lifestyle, offers an insight into the situation. He revealed that it was her son who had taken the mobility scooter outside to allow his mom to walk on her own:

"So, I think, according to Wendy's family, she was really upset about the disorganization and the lack of care. She indicated the car was not close to assure she was like, even getting into the right car. It was just really messy, so she was really upset and her family was really upset, too."

Just this week, after Wendy Williams' guardian declared her "permanently incapacitated," 24-year-old Kevin Jr. took to social media to share a quick update on his mom:

"While I'm here quick update on my mom. She's sober and wants to come home. We're fighting to make that happen because Isolation is killing her faster than anything else."

---

In a memo filed by Wendy Williams' lawyers this November, the media personality has become “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated." It claims she is now “afflicted by early-onset dementia,” her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, noted.

Full Article & Source:
What does legally incapacitated mean? Wendy Williams berates her caretaker for leaving her mobility scooter unattended on the street

See Also:
Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams Son Says Mom Is ‘Sober,’ Wants To Return Home

By Shawn Lealos

Wendy Williams has had a tough couple of years. Just recently, she was listed as “permanently incapacitated” following her battle with dementia. However, while her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, made these claims about her, Wendy’s friends and family feel she does not have the former talk show host’s best interests at heart. Shockingly, Kevin Hunter Jr. said his mom wanted to come home.

Here is what Wendy’s son had to say about his mom and her current condition.

Wendy Williams’ Son Wants His Mom Back Home

Kevin Hunter Jr., Wendy Williams’s son, said his mom is ready to return home. This is despite the recent proclamations of her guardian that the beloved celebrity is “permanently incapacitated.” According to Kevin, “She’s sober and wants to come home” (via TMZ).

Sabrina Morrissey filed court documents that said Wendy is “cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated.” Kevin disagrees and says the family is fighting to bring her home. He then admitted that “Isolation is killing her faster than anything else.” Many family members say that Sabrina has blocked them from seeing Williams.

Wendy was seen out earlier this year when she posed with a fan for a photo on a trip to a store. This was when she traveled to Miami to see Kevin graduate from Florida International University. Kevin even posted a video of Wendy getting her nails done and buying a new wig for the event.

Kevin saying that Wendy is sober comes after she battled with alcohol addiction. The A+E documentary about Wendy documented some of those struggles. Wendy was also diagnosed with aphasia and dementia in May 2023, and Sabrina was named the guardian for her health and finances. Since then, Wendy’s money has reportedly disappeared under Sabrina’s watch.

Wendy Williams Guardian Battling A&E Over Documentary

A+E Networks is making some major claims against Sabrina Morrissey. They have said that she is trying to cover up for her failure to protect Wendy as her guardian and that she wants to take away Wendy’s last chance to speak to her fans (via TMZ).

Sabrina tried to shut down the documentary last year, and A+E has responded to that lawsuit. They said Sabrina tried to sue to get parts of the documentary changed. However, they said that Wendy signed the agreement before Sabrina had her listed as mentally incapacitated. They also said there is no law against making a documentary about dementia.

A+E has now sued Sabrina for infringing on their First Amendment rights. They say that the guardian forced them to defend themselves against making a documentary, which is against their Constitutional rights. 

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams Son Says Mom Is ‘Sober,’ Wants To Return Home

'This is impossible!' Cheerful custodian breaks down crying opening gift from a Secret Santa

A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season and the East Idaho News elves are helping out. 

Every day from now until the end of the year, we’ll be posting a Secret Santa surprise, and today we are surprising a custodian named Scott. 

He is a selfless man who is using his God-given talents as a custodian. He is cheerful, always whistling or humming as he works. He supports his family including his wife, who suffers from the effects of blindness, diabetes, cancer, and is on oxygen. He also has three chidlren and they all live in a single-wide trailer. 

Scott had an old car that broke down, and a friend gave him another old one to get by, but it has seen better days. He would love to take his wife on vacation or to see a play, or a musical presentation, but his car would not be able to get them where they needed to go, nor could he afford it. 

Source:
'This is impossible!' Cheerful custodian breaks down crying opening gift from a Secret Santa

Florida professional guardian's registration revoked amid allegations of exploitation

By: Adam Walser

NAPLES, Fla. — For the past year, the ABC Action News I-Team has reported on the way professional guardian Kathy Johnson has handled vulnerable adults under her care.

She was removed from dozens of cases after audits revealed she exploited people and mismanaged their assets.

Now, the state is taking action to make sure she never practices as a guardian again.

“At best, this is mismanagement. At worst, it’s something more,” said Collier County Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Krier at a hearing in February.

She removed Kathy Johnson as the professional guardian in 34 Collier County cases at that hearing.

“I also am not going to allow these wards’ money to be flushed down the toilet for another minute,” Krier said.

Auditors found irregularities in Johnson's cases, including claims... which the auditors disputed... that her wards lost $85,000 because of “hacker activity.”

An audit report also included concerns that one ward’s Mercedes Benz didn’t appear in an inventory and another ward’s bank account shrank by nearly $609,000 in two years.

 

Report alleges multiple violations of Florida guardianship law

“You can be put in guardianship, and every right as an American citizen can be taken away with a five-minute hearing that more than likely you will not be allowed to attend,” said guardianship reform advocate Hillary Hogue.

Hogue said she complained about Johnson to the Florida Office of Public and Professional Guardians (OPPG).

That office released a 65-page administrative complaint against Johnson last month alleging “mismanagement or waste of assets," “exploitation, self-dealing or fraud," “breach of fiduciary duty," and “impeding the rights of wards."

“My intention was to get Johnson out”

Bridget Manning, 85, was visiting a friend in Florida when she fell, injured her leg, and wound up in a rehab center.

She was later declared incapacitated.

Manning wrote seven letters to judges complaining about Johnson and begging to get her rights back.

In the letters, Manning said she hoped to return to Ireland, where she lived most of her life.

“My intention was to get Johnson out. She did a lot of things to a lot of people,” Manning said.

We met her at the home care facility where Johnson placed her, which was previously cited by the state for its staff not having proper training or certification.

When asked to describe her living situation, Manning said, “Bad. Very bad.”

“I have to share a room. Kathy Johnson got both of us in there,” she said.

Two of Johnson’s wards shared a tiny room in the 1,400-square-foot home.

Living on the lam with burner phones and cash

“I was employed as a registered nurse. I was working two jobs,” said Karen Federighi.

When Federighi inherited money in 2016, her sisters in Ohio hired a lawyer to put her in guardianship.

She was just 56 years old.

Federighi lived independently at a LaQuinta Inn while Johnson controlled her money.

Records show Johnson charged Federighi $90 an hour to take her grocery shopping.

Federighi eventually escaped to California with help from supporters she met on Facebook.

“I literally lived on the lam for nearly a year using burner phones and cash,” Federighi said.

A lawyer got her case transferred to California and Federighi eventually got her rights restored.

“She told me his money runs out”

In June, we told you about Wilkins Vilcin, who is a former high school athlete from Haiti.

He suffered a major head injury when he fell on his head while doing a flip at a homecoming dance.

Vilcin ended up in guardianship, and Johnson was appointed as his guardian.

She was tasked by the court with overseeing his care and managing his money.

That included $614,000 from legal settlements related to the accident.

Reports say Johnson failed to help Vilcin apply for citizenship after the accident, which prevented him from qualifying for government benefits like Medicaid and Social Security disability, which would pay for his 24-hour-a-day care.

Vilcin’s sister, Fabiola Vilcin Borgelin, said she didn’t know her brother’s money was about to run out until it was too late.

“She told me his money runs out. That if he has nowhere to go, he’s going to end up in the street,” Borgelin said.

Johnson resigned as his guardian when his funds were nearly depleted, owing thousands of dollars to the facility that cared for Vilcin.

He has since gone to live with family members who oversee his 24-hour-a-day care.

His family members and supporters have worked with a volunteer attorney to set up the Wilkins Vilcin Special Needs Trust.

Donations are being coordinated by Wilkins’ former school... they can be mailed to St. John Neumann High School, 3500 53rd ST SW, Naples, FL 34116.

For more information about the trust, you can email the organizers at vilcintrust@gmail.com

The OPPG report said Johnson “at best mismanaged the financial resources and health, safety and welfare of the wards for which she was a guardian and at worst committed some criminal activity.”

Johnson’s and state’s response

We tried to talk to Johnson at her court hearing in February, but she declined to answer our questions.

Last month, the state revoked Johnson's registration as a guardian.

We contacted OPPG about the revocation of Johnson’s registration.

A spokesperson wrote in an email, “The Department of Elder Affairs expects all registered professional guardians to comply with the laws and standards governing their profession.”

According to the spokesperson, Johnson was the 15th public or professional guardian in Florida to have their registration revoked since 2019.

When we called Johnson for comment, she hung up the phone.

As of now, the answers are unclear.

You can learn more about problems with professional guardianship in Florida by reading our years-long investigation, “The Price of Protection."

Full Article & Source:
Florida professional guardian's registration revoked amid allegations of exploitation

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Source:
Crackling Fireplace & Classic Holiday Music 🎅 | Best Christmas Songs 2024

Happy Hanukkah!

 

2MAD: Unlikely friendship sparks when boy mistakes multimillionaire for homeless man

A good deed on Good Friday led to an unlikely friendship for Kelvin Ellis and Matthew Busbice.

Source:
2MAD: Unlikely friendship sparks when boy mistakes multimillionaire for homeless man

Single mom caring for her parents & blind daughter left stunned with big gift from Secret Santa

The EastIdahoNews.com team is busy helping a local Secret Santa give $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season. 

Mary is essentially caught in a rock and a hard place. She worked as a computer teacher at Taylor’s Crossing for many years and put in many extra hours after school, weekends, and most summers with no extra pay. 

Mary has a 22-year-old daughter who is legally blind and depends on her mother for everything. Her daughter has appointments with eye specialists at the University of Utah and in between visits, she does Telehealth to stay on top of her condition. 

Her youngest son is in high school, and both of Mary’s parents live with her and depend on her for help. Mary’s mom has recently had two knee replacements, which have required physical therapy, and her dad has injured his knee. Mary transports them to all their medical appointments, not to mention all the other things they need as they age. 

On top of everything, the only two vehicles she has are dying and require thousands of dollars to be usable. 

She just found out that one of her cars has metal in the fluids and it will cost several thousand dollars just to pull the engine to see what the problem is. Her van is 25 years old with 372,00 miles. 

Secret Santa asked the East Idaho News elves to visit Mary with an early Christmas gift. Watch the surprise in the video player above!

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Single mom caring for her parents & blind daughter left stunned with big gift from Secret Santa

Despite Reports of Wendy Williams Being Incapacitated, She Seems Fine

By  Rachel Leishman

 

Wendy Williams' health has been a major concern for fans, but she is seemingly doing well. The former host of The Wendy Williams Show was labeled as "permanently incapacitated" by her caretaker according to TMZ. Now, the host was photographed out and about for her son's graduation from Florida International University. Riding around Miami on a motorized scooter, Williams was smiling and looked proud of her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., as he graduated. Williams has been diagnosed with dementia and is under supervision. She had limited mobility and was officially diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

 

The pictures show Williams wearing a black dress and getting emotional seeing her son get his diploma. It is the first time in a while that fans have seen her out and about, and these images are drastically different from the painting that her caretaker was putting out into the world. Fans had previously watched as Williams' health declined on the show and were worried about her. Seeing her out and about gives fans a look into how she is actually handling her situation. She did not speak to any press at the event, and there were only a few pictures of her going into the celebration and then at the ceremony.

 

Seeing Williams in public and smiling is a stark difference from what her guardian told people was happening with Williams. Sabrina Morrissey, Williams' legal guardian and counsel, said about Williams' condition: “[Williams is] an acclaimed entertainer who, tragically, has been afflicted by early-onset dementia and, as a result, has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated."

'Where Is Wendy Williams?' Is Still an Issue

 

The pictures come after Williams had been fighting a docuseries coming out that her team dubbed "exploitative." Called Where Is Wendy Williams?, the series resulted in Morrissey going back and forth with the filmmakers. Earlier this year, Morrissey filed claims against the docuseries that claimed that Williams could not give consent to the series. She claimed that Where Is Wendy Williams? "shamelessly exploits [Williams] and portrays her in an extremely demeaning and undignified manner." The document went on to claim that the docuseries was an attack on Williams and her condition and not done in good faith. "This blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman with a serious medical condition who is beloved by millions within and outside of African American community is disgusting, and it cannot be allowed," the document read.

 

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Despite Reports of Wendy Williams Being Incapacitated, She Seems Fine

 

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Wendy Williams, 60, All Smiles in Rare Sighting After Dementia Diagnosis

Wendy Williams cries at son’s college graduation, rides scooter in rare public appearance as she battles dementia

By Sean Mandell

One proud mama.

Wendy Williams got emotional as she attended her son’s college graduation on Thursday in a rare outing as she battles early-onset dementia.

Wearing a sparkly dress and Chanel shoes, the former daytime TV host, 60, accessorized with a Louis Vuitton bag as she rode a red electric wheelchair in and out of the commencement event.

Williams was joined by her father, Thomas Williams Sr., 93, and her sister, Wanda Finnie, to witness Williams’ only child, Kevin Hunter Jr., 24, get his diploma from Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Fla.

According to FIU’s commencement program, Kevin graduated from the university’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

He began his college journey at another Miami school, Barry University, before transferring to FIU. Kevin also took time off from school in 2021 and 2022 to help take care of his mother as she struggled with her health. 

During the graduation ceremony, a beaming Williams cried and wiped away tears as Kevin walked across the stage and received his diploma.

The former “Wendy Williams Show” host was flanked by armed police officers as she exited the commencement and got in to a waiting vehicle. Kevin was seen shaking hands with one of the officers. 

Wendy was seen most recently over the weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. smiling in the back of an SUV as she picked up a to-go order from local haunt Sho’nuff Oysters.

The star was accompanied by her nephew Travis Finnie, according to blogger Antoine Edwards, who captured video of the oyster pickup.

A little over a month ago, Williams’ legal guardian Sabrina Morrissey declared that the TV personality “has become cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated” as a result of her early-onset dementia.

The claim was recorded in a Nov. 12 court filing Morrissey submitted in her ongoing legal battle with A+E Networks, the cable network she alleges exploited Williams in the Lifetime docuseries “Where Is Wendy Williams?” (Lifetime is a subsidiary of A+E).

Morrissey unsuccessfully attempted to block the release of the doc, which aired in February and revealed intimate details of Williams’ struggles with addiction and her finances.

The former radio DJ was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023 after the docuseries wrapped, though she reportedly showed symptoms indicative of the condition — which includes memory loss — from the beginning of production.

Williams has been under a court-ordered guardianship that oversees her health and finances since 2022 after her bank, Wells Fargo, alleged she was “incapacitated.”

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Wendy Williams cries at son’s college graduation, rides scooter in rare public appearance as she battles dementia

Lakeville man accused of convincing neighbor with dementia to adopt him, then stealing at least $1M

Joseph Robinson is charged in federal court in a case involving the "staggering apparent financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult."

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Lakeville man accused of convincing neighbor with dementia to adopt him, then stealing at least $1M

Luzerne County caretaker charged with financial exploitation

Story by Emily Cherkauskas

A Luzerne County caretaker is facing charges after police say she stole over $34,000 from the person she took care of.

Dina Sabecky of Edwardsville was charged by Dallas Township police with identity theft, forgery and theft by deception and unlawful taking in connection to a series of alleged fraudulent transactions.

According to police, Sabecky was hired as a personal caretaker in 2014. After, "significant" financial discrepancies were discovered in the victim's Wells Fargo Bank account by the victim and family members.

Investigators determined that Sabecky made unauthorized ATM withdrawals, altered checks totaling over $34,000 and deposited them into a personal account. She also allegedly forged the victim’s signature on additional checks.

Search warrants executed at Wells Fargo and PNC Bank revealed a total of 80 fraudulent checks amounting to $25,675 deposited between 2019 and 2020. Additional fraudulent checks from 2017 and 2018 brought the total loss to $34,638.

Sabecky arranged on the charges on Wednesday before being released on $25,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025.

"The Dallas Township Police Department urges residents to closely monitor their financial accounts. If you believe you have been a victim of financial exploitation, please report it to your local law enforcement agency," police said in a press release.

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Luzerne County caretaker charged with financial exploitation

Bond set at $100K for Billings landlord charged with assault, elder abuse

By: Q2 News

BILLINGS - Bond was set Friday at $100,000 for John Anthony Skauge, a Billings landlord who faces felony charges of aggravated assault and exploitation of older person with developmental disabilities.

Skauge, 81, appeared in Yellowstone County District Court by video from the county jail for arraignment on the charges. He pleaded not guilty.

Skauge is the owner of the Colonial Apartments on the Billings South Side that city officials have taken legal action against that could lead to the property being condemned and demolished. The property has a long history as the source of frequent police responses.

A trial date in the civil case brought against Skauge by the City of Billings is currently scheduled for late January. It is unclear how the new criminal case could affect the civil case.

The criminal charges allege that on Aug. 10 Skauge pushed a 64-year-old woman down some stairs in a residence on Radcliffe Drive, breaking her hip. Prosecutors allege Skauge left the woman alone and did not seek medical attention. The woman's daughter said she became concerned when her mother did not respond to text messages and found her in the chair severely injured where she had been sitting for 10 to 12 hours.

The woman suffered severe and permanent injuries, prosecutors said, and has been cared for in a rehabilitation facility since the incident. 

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Bond set at $100K for Billings landlord charged with assault, elder abuse