Attorney General Bonta: Owner of Santa Cruz Residential Care Home Arrested for Elder Abuse

SANTA CRUZ – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest and charges against the owner of Rose Garden Residential Care Home and her employee for felony elder abuse that caused the death of a dependent adult in their care. Both defendants have been taken into custody and will face prosecution by the California Department of Justice Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, for a single count of felony elder abuse each.
 
“Elders deserve care, respect, and protection,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Those who are responsible for the care of elderly and dependent adults carry a profound duty to ensure their safety and well-being. At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to standing against any form of elder abuse or neglect, and we will take immediate action to hold accountable those who exploit or harm these vulnerable individuals.”
 
The victim, an 88-year-old dementia patient, was discovered deceased after departing from Rose Garden. The investigation revealed that the staff member responsible for his care fell asleep and was unaware of his absence. Dressed only in a t-shirt and diaper, the victim wandered .4 miles away from Rose Garden and died due to cold exposure. 
 
It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

DMFEA works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state, and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.
 
The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
 
A copy of the complaint can be found here. 

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Attorney General Bonta: Owner of Santa Cruz Residential Care Home Arrested for Elder Abuse

Caregiver charged with attempted assault

by Felix Day

Greenwich, NY — According to Sheriff Jeffrey J. Murphy, Greenwich woman Sarah Campbell has been arrested and charged with Attempted Assault in the 2nd Degree.

Authorities say Campbell attempted to assault a victim over the age of 65, for whom she was a caregiver, in the Town of Greenwich.

Campbell was taken into custody and held at the Washington County Jail.

She was later arraigned in Centralized Arraignment and released on her own recognizance.

Campbell is scheduled to appear in the Town of Greenwich Court at a future date.

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Caregiver charged with attempted assault

Woman arrested for posing as a man to bilk elderly victims out of $1.5 million in romance con

By Brad Matthews

A Pawnee, Oklahoma, woman was arrested this week, accused of posing as a man under multiple aliases and scamming four out-of-state elderly women out of $1.5 million.

The victims, ages 64 to 79, thought they were in a romantic relationship and sent money in the form of Apple gift cards, cash, cashier’s checks and wire transfers. The person at the other end, however, was Christine Joan Echohawk, 53, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement.

Alleged aliases used by Ms. Echohawk included “Edward Lotts,” to whom one of the victims sent over $600,000. The victim sent the money so that “Lotts” could pay off a debt, receive $2 million, and have the victim move in with him, according to an affidavit.

That victim, whose name was redacted, sold her house to raise the money.

Another alleged alias was “Jason Morris.” One victim sent over $100,000, starting in October 2024, for supplies and fuel for an oil tanker based in Turkey.

Another sent over $200,000 that was supposed to be used on fuel for a stranded oil tanker in Alaska loaded up with 700,000 barrels of oil. After the tanker returned, the victim thought she would move in with “Morris.”

Ms. Echohawk is also accused of posing as “Glenn Goadard” and telling a victim that she had known him since college. The victim sent $250,000 for expenses related to a supposed financial portfolio he was sending her from Syria.

Ms. Echohawk is also accused of telling victims to lie to banks that put a hold on the transfer of funds after they suspected senior fraud.

Ms. Echohawk allegedly laundered the proceeds through various accounts into cryptocurrency, which she then sent to “Maurice Dinero,” which authorities believe is another alias.

The charges include four counts of laundering unlawful proceeds and one count of using a computer to violate Oklahoma statutes. If convicted, Ms. Echohawk faces between 24 and 62 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000.

“These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious. I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator,” Mr. Drummond said.

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Woman arrested for posing as a man to bilk elderly victims out of $1.5 million in romance con

Public guardian accused of stealing $100,000 enters plea

by Susan Samples

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A West Michigan guardian who stole from people she was supposed to protect faces up to ten years in prison.

Kimberley St. Onge pleaded no contest in a Kent County courtroom Thursday afternoon to three counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult between $20,000 and $50,000.

St. Onge’s attorney told a judge that her client pleaded no contest due to potential civil liability; a no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but it’s treated as such for sentencing purposes.

Each of the three counts carries up to ten years in prison, and 17th Circuit Court Judge George J. Quist could order those sentences to run consecutively instead of concurrently, which is more common.

“Unfortunately, this woman took a lot of money from a lot of vulnerable people,” Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told Target 8. “Caused a lot of harm.”

Becker said St. Onge stole more than $100,000 from 13 vulnerable adults for whom she served as guardian.

St. Onge had no criminal record when she applied to become a public guardian through Kent County Probate Court. The guardianship program confirmed that St. Onge served in that role from May 2023 to May 2024.

The program also confirmed that it runs criminal record, central registry and credit checks on all who apply to become guardians.

According to a police report obtained by Target 8, St. Onge convinced the Social Security Office to put her name on one of her ward’s benefit checks and mail it to her private P.O. Box.

Grand Rapids Police reported that St. Onge also wrote checks to her own family on her wards’ bank accounts, made unauthorized transfers and ATM withdrawals, and spent the money on gas, a hotel, Taco Bell and T-Mobile, among other purchases.

“The real tragic part is they’re not getting their money back,” said Becker. “I mean, yeah, there will be a restitution order, and they’ll be told they have to pay this, but when you’re talking about this kind of money, it’s not like they’re putting it in a savings account. It’s gone. We don’t know where exactly the money went. It’s not like (St. Onge) had a whole lot of assets.”

Becker encourages people to watch out for each other, especially the most vulnerable among us.

“I always ask the people around the vulnerable people, be the eyes and ears,” explained Becker. “If a vulnerable person has a guardian, they usually have some sort of mental incapacity, some short-term memory loss. They don’t know what’s happening. But if they’re being isolated, that’s the biggest thing, if they’re isolated without any other contact with anybody else, that’s when they’re really susceptible to being a target and being victimized like this.”

St. Onge is scheduled for sentencing in Kent County Circuit Court May 12.

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Public guardian accused of stealing $100,000 enters plea

Guardianship Judge to Wendy Williams on Career: "It's Done"

by Jillian Bowe

Lord in the morning! The judge in Wendy Williams' conservatorship wants all the smoke with her and she gave it to her in court. On Thursday, Williams was in court for a hearing and Judge Lisa Sokoloff ripped into the former talk show host and her family TMZ is reporting. The site claims Sokoloff lit into Williams' niece WPLG Local 10 Miami news anchor Alex Finnie and accused her of leaking info about Williams and the case to the media and threatened to impose sanction on her in the future.

Sokoloff then ripped into Williams' family and said they were no good. Girl what? Sokoloff went on to discuss Williams' career and said, while she had a great one, she won't have it again and told her that her career was over and said:

It's done.

Sokoloff who has no experience in the entertainment industry, left many, including Williams baffled by her comments and hurt by what she said.

Last month, Sokoloff sent out an email to Williams' attorney chastising her for speaking to the press. She threatened to put more restrictions on her including moving Williams to another facility with more limitations than the one in which she currently resides.

The site claims Williams' personal attorney Joe Tacopina, will take on the guardianship case if it heads to a jury trial. Tacopina is the lawyer who helped rapper A.$.A.P. Rocky, Rihanna's boyfriend and the father of her children, beat his attempted murder charges

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Guardianship Judge to Wendy Williams on Career: "It's Done"

See Also:
Wendy Williams Originally Asked for a Guardianship, but Didn't 'Think Her Whole Life Would Be Taken Away' (Exclusive Source)

Governor Signs Supported Decision-Making Act

Submitted by Carol A. Clark  

 

ALTSD News:

SANTA FE — New Mexicans with disabilities and older adults are one step closer to having greater autonomy in their decision-making after the governor signed SB 535 into law last week. 

SB 535, an omnibus bill addressing various public health, safety and welfare measures, includes the Supported Decision-Making Act, which will establish a new program within the Office of Guardianship dedicated towards supported decision-making agreements, an alternative to adult guardianship. The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD) will collaborate closely with the Office of Guardianship to connect interested New Mexicans with supported decision-making resources. 

“Providing more pathways to autonomy and self-determination strengthens our communities,” Emily Kaltenbach, ALTSD Cabinet Secretary said. “This legislation will help ensure that those who need it have the necessary support to make informed decisions while maintaining their independence and dignity.” 

Currently, more than half of U.S. states, including Texas, Colorado and Arizona, have adopted supported decision-making as a legal alternative to guardianship. While several other legal avenues provide a named supporter, the supported decision-making framework allows individuals to retain full decision-making authority while receiving that assistance.  

“Too often people with disabilities do not have a voice when making decisions, which prevents them from learning necessary skills and gaining freewill,” said Vashad Frink, disability rights advocate and supported decision-making ambassador. “The Supported Decision-Making Act will help ensure people with disabilities like me have the same rights and respect as everyone else.” 

The ALTSD and the Office of Guardianship extend their gratitude to the bill sponsors, legislative supporters, and community partners who worked to advance this vital legislation. Their commitment ensures that more New Mexicans will have the support they need to lead independent, self-determined lives. 

For more information about the Office of Guardianship, visit nmddpc.com/guardianship_program. 

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Governor Signs Supported Decision-Making Act

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Family demands answers from caregiver after missing woman with special needs found

Family of a woman with special needs that went missing for several days is demanding answers from her caregiver who is now facing charges. 

The missing woman was found unharmed over the weekend. 

Family members demanded answers as the caregiver walked out of court on Monday. 

Family demands answers from caregiver outside court after woman with special needs goes missing for few days

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CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Family demands answers from caregiver after missing woman with special needs found

Caregiver charged after missing RI woman is found alive in parked car

A Rhode Island caregiver is facing charges after the woman in her care went missing for four days and was found alive in someone's car.

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Caregiver charged after missing RI woman is found alive in parked car

Man charged in elder abuse case involving his mother

By Charlie Boothe

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - A Bluefield man has been charged with elder abuse in connection with injuries sustained by his mother.

Douglas Ashley Conley, 47, is facing a felony charge of abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult after West Virginia State Police were called April 5 by WVU Princeton Community Hospital in reference to an 84-year-old woman’s injuries and condition.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim had severe bruises on her face, neck and inside her legs as well as a brain bleed and broken ribs. She also showed signs of long-term physical neglect.

The victim was flown to a Roanoke hospital for further treatment.

The criminal complaint said the State Police investigation by Trooper First Class J.B. Fox led to Conley, who lived with the victim and was her caretaker at a residence on Lorton Lick Road. They were the only residents in the house.

Conley remains incarcerated at Southern Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash only bond.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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Man charged in elder abuse case involving his mother