3 arrested for kidnapping in Novato in ‘conservatorship’ scheme: police

 by: Phil Mayer

(KRON) — Three people were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a patient at a health care facility in Novato on Saturday, the Novato Police Department said. Police believe the crime was part of a scheme in which the suspects tried to gain “conservatorship” of the victim.

The kidnapping was reported at about 11 a.m. Three suspects abducted a patient and assaulted a nurse who tried to stop them, NPD said.

They left the facility and drove towards South Novato Boulevard. Police did not name the facility where the patient was staying.

Less than 20 minutes later, a Marin County Sheriff’s deputy saw the vehicle on US-101 and conducted a traffic stop near the Spencer Avenue exit.

NPD arrived and arrested all three suspects. The victim was in the car, and they were taken to a hospital for precautionary purposes.

An NPD investigation revealed that the victim was under a conservatorship, meaning a court declared a separate person or organization responsible for their finances and personal care. The suspects were not in control, but police believe they tried to fraudulently obtain conservatorship for financial purposes by kidnapping the victim.

The suspects were identified as Michael Roberts, 49, of Dana Point, Laura Boyle, 61, of Mission Viejo, and Paula Burkes, 57, of Mission Viejo. They were booked into jail for crimes including kidnapping, elder abuse, battery, burglary and conspiracy.

Krysta Boyle, 38, of Mission Viejo has been linked to the case as well as a conspirator. NPD recommended the Marin County District Attorney’s office to charge her.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call (415) 897-4361 and mention case NP25-0413.

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3 arrested for kidnapping in Novato in ‘conservatorship’ scheme: police

Former nursing home worker sentenced to jail for elder abuse; cases continue for two other suspects

A former Guthrie nursing home employee has been sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and elder abuse following a disturbing investigation into misconduct at Golden Age Nursing Home.

Jade Williams, 22, was sentenced Tuesday after a Guthrie detective, Williams, and her mother provided testimony in court. Williams, who showed emotion while reading from a prepared statement, received two 10-year sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC).

The first charge includes eight years suspended, meaning she could serve up to two years behind bars. Then she will begin serving 8.5 mandatory years on the second charge which is required (85% crime) of her sentence before being eligible for release.

Williams was arrested in July along with Aubrey Granata, 22, and McKenzie Bolfa, 21, following a two-month investigation by the Guthrie Police Department. The investigation began after a former nursing home employee came forward with disturbing allegations against their co-workers.

Court documents reveal that Williams, Granata, and Bolfa exchanged Snapchat videos and photos showing residents in degrading and inhumane conditions. One video depicted an elderly resident lying on a bed wearing only a shirt and a diaper, with fecal matter on the sheets and socks. Another video showed a male resident lying nude from the waist down. Additionally, photos surfaced of deceased residents being mocked by the workers.

“It’s probably one of the saddest things,” Guthrie Police Chief Don Sweger said in a previous interview. “We take service to everybody very responsibly, but especially for those who don’t have a voice for themselves.”

As part of her sentencing, Williams must complete a drug offender work camp while in DOC custody, undergo drug and alcohol evaluations and follow all recommendations, submit to random drug testing, undergo a mental health evaluation and follow all recommendations, obtain employment or enroll in school, complete 300 hours of community service upon release, address fines and court costs within 180 days of release.

Meanwhile, Granata and Bolfa have pleaded not guilty in their cases and are expected back in court in March.

Golden Age director, Tandie Hastings, issued a statement, last year, in response to the allegations: “Golden Age Nursing Home endeavors to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents. Upon receiving information related to certain allegations against its employees, the facility began working with local law enforcement and other appropriate authorities to respond. The employees involved had cleared background checks, were educated related to resident’s rights/safety, and have been terminated from employment. We are committed to protecting the privacy and safety of the residents and families involved and will continue to keep them updated with any developments related to this matter.”

The accused, 22-year-old Aubrey Granata, 22-year-old Jade Williams, and 21-year-old McKenzie Bolfa, are now facing serious charges of elderly abuse.

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Former nursing home worker sentenced to jail for elder abuse; cases continue for two other suspects

Macomb Co. alliance aims to brings attention to senior abuse and serve victims

by Anne Snabes

Macomb County Office of Senior Services Director Sheila Cote said her colleagues have seen more and more cases over the last few years where they're concerned about the safety of older adults in the community.

She found out that some other counties in Michigan have elder abuse taskforces and ultimately decided to create her own in Macomb. The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance, which was formed in 2023, brings together various organizations that respond to elder abuse and other senior issues, allowing them to share resources with each other.

The alliance also educates caregivers and seniors about abuse. The alliance says elder abuse includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse, financial exploitation and neglect.

In some cases, a family member is taking advantage of a senior. In others, the older adult lost money in a scam. Sometimes the senior is facing eviction.

"It's time to … call the alarm and and bring attention to this issue and bring community awareness to this issue," Cote said.

She said 1,480 calls or referrals were made to Adult Protective Services' hotline for suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of people 60 years and older in Macomb County in 2022, and 1,700 calls or referrals were made in 2023. She noted that abuse is underreported, as some people don't know who to call or who to report it to.

"It's almost an epidemic at this point," she said of mistreatment of older adults.

The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance is made up of roughly 30 to 40 organizations, ranging from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office and Sterling Heights Police Department to the Macomb County Community Mental Health and Shelby Township Senior Center, Cote said. One of the alliance's subcommittees meets monthly to talk about cases of elder abuse or cases where a senior is very vulnerable and needs additional support.

The alliance is one of 33 multidisciplinary teams across the state, according to Cynthia Farrell, the division director for Adult Services in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Cote said that a few years ago, she met with the Muskegon County taskforce and the Genesee County taskforce to learn about their operations. She also contacted the Michigan Department of Attorney General, which offered to help her start a taskforce in Macomb. She said the department has a model in place to set up these taskforces. The Macomb County alliance had its first meeting in March 2023.

The issue of elder abuse

Nearly one-fifth, or 19%, of Macomb County's population is over the age of 65, according to U.S. Census figures. And the number of 65 and older households grew 27% between 2010 and 2022, according to Census data analyzed by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Nearly 300 people or entities were charged, meanwhile, were charged with a consumer crime against a senior in the county in 2024, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido. About 150 of those cases are still open.

Eight people have been charged with assaulting a senior this year, and five of those cases are still open. Meanwhile, about 20 people have been charged with embezzling a senior, with at least half of the cases still open.

The prosecutor's office has a Consumer Protection Unit and a Senior Crime Unit. Lucido said some seniors are scammed by family members who have substance abuse or gambling issues. He said other seniors lose money to "seedy" contractors or to people on the Internet.

He said seniors spend a lot of time online, especially during the winter.

"When it's cold out ― they can't get outside ― they're online," he said, "and there's a trust being built with the people they're talking to, and all of a sudden, a scam happens."

Warren resident Shane Price manages the finances of an 80-year-old man. He said a woman who was addicted to drugs was living with the man in Warren. He said the woman wasn't contributing to the senior's rent and he was in fact giving her money.

"This man has several people in his life that could very well be ― they could be good people," Price said. "Perhaps they just weren't sure how to help out in the first place."

Price said he thinks the general public should be educated about how to spot an older adult who "potentially has something going on in their life" and might need help. He said he didn't know that Adult Protective Services existed until a Meals on Wheels worker told him about it.

What the Elder Justice Alliance does

The Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance has two subcommittees, one of which is called the Multi-disciplinary Team. When the team meets, they talk about individual older adults who are victims or who need additional support or services, Cote said.

A representative of the prosecutor's office, for example, might talk about someone she is working with who needs Meals on Wheels. Or maybe the individual doesn't have a place to live, and the team could help them find housing.

"It's really an opportunity to share resources and better support that person," Cote said.

Farrell, the division director for Adult Services in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said an Adult Protective Services employee participates in the multidisciplinary meetings, and they have been helpful for her division.

"We are very much wanting to promote these multidisciplinary teams, because it really takes a village to really work with some of these clients," she said. "They have multiple needs, and not one entity is going to be able to meet all their needs."

The Elder Justice Alliance also has a prevention subcommittee, which meets monthly. They do tasks such as educating seniors about who to call when they suspect abuse and talking to caregivers about "appropriate boundaries," Cote said.

"I think some caregivers believe, 'Well, I'm handling their money so I can help myself to their money,'" she said. "Well, no, that's not OK."

She said the prevention subcommittee also tries to address "the loneliness and isolation problems" experienced by older adults. They have done surveys at some senior living apartments and have set up focus groups, where seniors can talk about how to alleviate loneliness in their buildings.

Cote said that in October, Macomb County Office of Senior Services received a $750,000 grant from the Department of Justice. The money will be used to train professionals and to provide services to victims.

Office of Senior Services lead case manager Jennifer Wilczek said her position was created as part of the formation of the alliance. She works one-on-one with seniors and makes sure they are receiving the assistance they need.

Wilczek said Adult Protective Services is limited in what it can do. She said the Macomb County Elder Justice Alliance is "filling that gap."

"This kind of fills that gap to provide support and assistance to folks ... in working with Adult Protective Services and what they can do," she said.

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Macomb Co. alliance aims to brings attention to senior abuse and serve victims

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

Relatives and nurse charged in elder abuse case after 79-year-old woman dies in Brockton

Three women face a host of charges, including elder abuse, Medicaid fraud and larceny in the death of a 79-year-old Massachusetts woman last year. WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports.

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Relatives and nurse charged in elder abuse case after 79-year-old woman dies in Brockton

DOJ Report to Congress Details Fight Against Nursing Home Neglect, Elder Abuse and Financial Fraud

Federal regulators have made significant progress combating elder abuse and financial fraud since July 2023, according to a new report.

By: Michael Adams 

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been working in tandem with federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to target financial fraud and abuse involving elderly Americans, as well as their risks of nursing home neglect due to grossly inadequate care in long-term facilities.

Older individuals face an increased risk of falling prey to various financial fraud schemes, and they face particular dangers of abuse at the hands of caretakers, both at home and in nursing home facilities.

As a result of these dangers, a number of new federal programs have been started, and legacy programs have continued gaining traction, to help curb the physical and financial abuse of elderly Americans.

Last month, the DOJ released its sixth Annual Report to Congress on Activities to Prevent Elder Fraud and Abuse, which outlines programs the agency has put in place to combat elderly fraud and abuse, as well as how those programs performed from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

National Nursing Home Initiative Addresses Elder Neglect

The DOJ report indicates that the agency’s Elder Justice Initiative is cooperating with 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country to implement the National Nursing Home Initiative, which will help identify nursing homes that do not provide adequate staffing numbers or skill to provide for resident care.

The National Nursing Home Initiative also tracks and identifies nursing home facilities that do not adhere to basic nursing standards, or provide their residents with enough food, as well as those that use inappropriate physical and chemical restraints to sedate residents.

Government officials are already enforcing actions against nursing home facilities that have committed fraud, provided unnecessary medical services, or been unable to care for residents in the manner that the law requires.

The report also indicates the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded nearly $6 million to 12 different organizations that will support local communities over a three year period, by providing services to elderly victims of abuse and exploitation.

In addition, the agency reports that between July 2023 and March 2024, more than 9,750 individuals over the age of 60 applied for compensation through the DOJ’s Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Formula Grant Program.

VOCA addresses the emotional and financial needs of crime victims, by advocating for them and assisting with medical services, counseling, transportation, funeral and burial costs, as well as lost work. During the reporting period, VOCA awarded more than $79 million specifically to organizations that assist individuals who experience elder abuse.

The DOJ has also pursued at least 300 enforcement actions against hundreds of fraud defendants, returning more than $31 million to elderly victims of financial scams during the covered period. In fact, the report points out that the National Elder Fraud Hotline has fielded more than 139,000 calls across all 50 states, as well as 44 other countries and territories since it was launched in 2020.

“Raising public awareness is an essential part of the Department’s efforts to combat and reduce elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud,” said Andy Mao, National Elder Justice Coordinator Deputy Director of the Civil Fraud Section. “With so much elder abuse hidden from the public eye, it is imperative that we arm our communities with the information and red flags they need to identify and recognize potential abuse when they see it.”

Nursing Home Abuse Affects All Americans

Nursing home neglect and elder abuse affect thousands of individuals. However, the damage associated with these issues is not confined to the elderly.

Recent studies have revealed that many nursing homes accused of neglect are overbilling taxpayers, with some facilities, termed “opportunistic systems,” overcharging Medicare by $4.3 billion. Since Medicare bills are covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is funded by U.S. tax dollars, these overcharges impact all American taxpayers.

Staffing has been another area of increasing concern for nursing home facilities, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishing a report earlier this year, which indicated that less than one-third of U.S. nursing homes have enough nurses on staff.

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DOJ Report to Congress Details Fight Against Nursing Home Neglect, Elder Abuse and Financial Fraud

AARP Alabama urges community response to elderly abuse after Elkmont man allegedly beats parents

By Noah Cowell

ELKMONT, Ala. (WAFF) - AARP Alabama asks the local community to help prevent elder abuse after a man brutally assaulted his parents in Elkmont.

Charlie Cain Jr., 55, was charged with two counts of elder abuse after allegedly beating his parents in Elkmont last Tuesday.

Other charges include domestic violence and violating his parents' protection order they filed in May after claiming he threatened them.

Witnesses say Cain — who has a history of drug problems — became irritated on Tuesday when his parents would not take him to a local pharmacy.

Cain then yanked his mother to the ground and broke her jaw, while also striking his father in the face.

The good Samaritan who reported the assault says she never expected Cain to be capable of an attack this severe. She says she’s seen his parents repeatedly give their son more chances after his other times in prison, but he just continues to hurt them.

According to court records, Cain was charged with domestic violence and harassment two years ago after beating his parents across the face with his cell phone.

AARP works to raise awareness of these types of elder abuse cases and how to stop them. Jamie Harding of AARP Alabama urges everyone to keep an eye on their older friends and neighbors.

“These are some of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors and relatives, and we all have a responsibility to help protect them as much as possible,” Harding said.

She says signs of abuse can range from victims having an unkempt or abnormally messy appearance to having bruises.

Harding also says what Cain is accused of doing is horrifying, adding elder abuse often goes unreported because seniors are often hurt by close family members.

“Understand that that person is probably not going to admit that their family member is abusing them, so that’s why somebody else has to step in and help them,” Harding said. “No one wants to throw their family member into jail.” 

Harding also urges witnesses of elder abuse to reach out to the Department of Human Resources on their adult abuse and exploitation hotline.

The good Samaritan hopes Cain doesn‘t get out of jail anytime soon so his parents can stay out of harm’s way.

The Limestone County Sheriff‘s Office currently has no updates regarding Cain’s case.

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AARP Alabama urges community response to elderly abuse after Elkmont man allegedly beats parents

3 arrested on charges of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud in separate Arkansas cases

by Max Hauptman

Three people were arrested in Arkansas on charges of Medicaid fraud and elder abuse in separate cases, including one instance in which an employee at an assisted living facility was seen striking an elderly woman with Alzheimer's Disease, prosecutors say.

All three suspects in the different cases were arrested or surrendered themselves into custody on Oct. 31.

North Little Rock resident Ja’Layia J. McClendon, 28, was arrested on a charge of abusing an endangered or impaired person after prosecutors say witnesses saw her hitting 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer's Disease living at a Little Rock assisted living facility. Prosecutors say the woman was left with bruises on her face and forearm.

Trey Franks, 28, was arrested in Little Rock on Oct. 31 on a warrant for the same charge after prosecutors say more than $1,000 was sent to his credit card from the bank account of a woman living in a long-term care facility in Cabot, Arkansas, in five separate transfers from September to October 2023.

The third arrest was that of Hannah Christmas, a 34-year-old Hamburg, Arkansas, resident, who is facing a charge of Medicaid fraud. She's accused of billing the Dermott, Hamburg and Lakeside school districts $5,500 for physical therapy services that were never rendered from August 2023 to April 2024.

USA TODAY attempted to contact attorneys for all three people and either could not identify one or did not hear back from them.

Elder abuse can take on many forms, including physical, psychological or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect and abandonment. The Justice Department estimates that more than 10% of people over the age of 65 suffer from some form of elder abuse each year.

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3 arrested on charges of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud in separate Arkansas cases

DOJ outlines efforts to combat elder abuse, fraud in annual report to Congress

by Kimberly Bonvissuto 

With “millions” of older adults falling victim to elder abuse and fraud each year, the Department of Justice has released its sixth annual report about its efforts to tackle those crimes and prosecute offenders.

The DOJ’s “Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse” report to Congress outlines its efforts from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud.

During that period, the department pursued more than 300 enforcement actions against more than 700 defendants charged with stealing almost $700 million from 225,000 victims. The government provided services to more than 230,000 older adult victims and returned more than $31 million to them.

“Because millions of older Americans suffer some form of elder mistreatment each year — and because many more abuses go unreported or unseen — everyone has a role to play in this work,” Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote in a foreword to the report.

Working with partners including the US Postal Inspection Service, state partners and Medicaid Fraud Control Units, as well as law enforcement corpus, the department pursued more than 30 different types of elder fraud schemes. 

The scams with the highest financial losses for older adults — including senior living residents — were investment scams, where older adult lost $1.2 million. Tech support scams led to $590 million in losses, business email compromise scams led to $382 million in losses, romance scams cost victims $357 million and government impersonation cost victims $180 million. 

The department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline received more than 50,000 calls in the past year and helped older victims to report potential crimes and to local available resources and services. The five states with the highest number of calls were California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Texas. The most common types of fraud reported in those calls are romance scams, identity theft and business imposter scams. 

During a September hearing on fighting fraud held by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, US Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), committee chairman, released the group’s ninth annual fraud book, “Fighting Fraud: Scams to Watch Out For.”

According to that report, FBI data showed that fraud losses among older adults reached $3.4 billion in 2023. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, investment scams were the costliest scams for older adults, with reported losses topping $1.2 billion last year, a 400% increase since 2021. 

The Federal Communications Commission reported that health-related scam calls targeting older adults tend to spike during Medicare’s open enrollment period, October to December. Last year, there were $17 million in confirmed losses due to healthcare scams. Mike Braun (R-IN), ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, said that Medicare lost $60 billion in 2023 due to fraud, errors and abuse.

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DOJ outlines efforts to combat elder abuse, fraud in annual report to Congress

Georgia Nurse Accused of Breaking Bones of Elderly Patients While Stealing Their Jewelry: 'You Lose Faith in Humanity'

"I can't explain the feeling that came over me from horror, nausea, wanting to scream."

by Morgan Music 

A Georgia hospital nurse accused of theft now faces additional charges of elder abuse for stealing jewelry from patients, one of whom suffered a dislocated finger when her ring was forcibly removed.

A former nurse at North Fulton Hospital, Stephanie Phillips-Siwiec, is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing from elderly patients under her care. Phillips-Siwiec has been charged with three counts of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of the elderly, three counts of robbery, and aggravated battery. These charges come on top of prior felony theft charges according to Roswell police reports.

The investigation began after a 95-year-old patient's daughter reported that her mother's $1,000 gold bracelet went missing while receiving care at the hospital on Sept. 28. An affidavit obtained by Fox 5 revealed further complaints from other patients, including 87-year-old Patricia Gaskins, whose finger was discovered to be dislocated with a cracked bone after Phillips-Siwiec allegedly removed her rings using hand sanitizer.

"I can't explain the feeling that came over me from horror, nausea, wanting to scream," Gaskins' daughter told FOX 5 News. "You lose faith in humanity at that moment, that this happened in a place where someone is supposed to be cared for."

Phillips-Siwiec appeared in court Thursday, where she was heard saying, "Oh my god," and "That's not true," under her breath in response to the allegations. Bail was set at $140,000, and the judge ordered her to avoid contact with anyone over the age of 75 or connected to North Fulton Hospital and prohibited her from working as a nurse.

Wellstar Health System, which operates North Fulton Hospital, placed Phillips-Siwiec on administrative leave. The hospital is cooperating with authorities and issued an apology to affected patients and their families.

"These allegations, if true, go against everything we stand for as caregivers," a hospital spokesperson said. "Every person should feel safe and comfortable when they receive care."

The case is still under investigation, and authorities encourage any other potential victims to contact the Roswell Police Department.

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Georgia Nurse Accused of Breaking Bones of Elderly Patients While Stealing Their Jewelry: 'You Lose Faith in Humanity'

Elder Eyes Wide Shut

By Jaimee K Martello 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was on June 15^th.  Father’s Day was June 16^th.  Many are not aware of WEAAD.  I only know it exists because of a book I started co-writing with a friend.  A legal guardian and conservator have hijacked her father’s life and estate and she cannot get him out.  To date over half a million dollars have been billed to estate; he is drugged to incapacitation so that he cannot defend himself in court.  My friend, his daughter, is terrified and panicked.  Fighting with every cell of her energy that has not been killed in the process against the system.

It is consuming my thoughts and destroying my perspective on reality.  I had a sit-down with my parents to pass along what I learned about elder abuse through this project.  I had to warn them.

My friend, who I will call Lilly to protect her and her family, is amidst a legal battle with her sibling and a cabal of lawyers over the legal guardianship and conservatorship of her 74-year-old father, though he can still make decisions.  His decisions are neither recognized nor respected by the family courts.  As Americans, we complain about our presidents being in their 70s or 80s, but our parents are pretty damn young, smart, physical, and capable at 70.

Lilly explains her father’s life had been kidnapped.  Sacrificed, slowly, for the cash cow underbelly of the legal system.  His bank accounts have been drained.  Property for sale.  Her bank account is near zero as she spends the only dollars left fighting for her dad against his conservator and legal guardian.  This week she received a petition against her home.  She co-owns a condo with her dad, and they want it.  By technicality, they have that legal right.

My jaw is dropped and I have a perpetual pit in my stomach.  I fear for her but I also tread with caution.  Is this real?  Lilly keeps saying it feels like a movie, when I remember… I’ve seen this movie.

I Care a Lot, starring Rosamund Pike, dropped on Netflix in 2020.  It is a horror movie veiled by black comedy.  How many more horrors could we take in 2020?

The IMDB logline is “A crooked legal guardian who drains the savings of her elderly wards meets her match when a woman she tries to swindle turns out to be more than she first appears.”  It does not say “Based on a True Story.”

Was my old friend, Lilly, feeding me a story?  We don’t live in the same state and haven’t seen each other in a while.  Was she plugging a controversy into ChatGPT and reading it back to me?

As a writer and content producer, I attempted to write a memoir treatment to help her expose this life-altering story.  We talk for hours and hours each week.   The transference of fear I have includes the sit down with my parents and the countless speculation, anger, and sadness my husband must endure.

In 2021, Esquire quoted J Blakeson, writer and director behind I Care a Lot. “The idea first came when I heard news stories about these predatory legal guardians who were exploiting this legal loophole and exploiting the vulnerability in the system to take advantage of older people, basically stripping them of their life and assets to fill their own pockets.”

This is real, and yet, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief.  I ignorantly believed the world was just.  Scratch the silver screen.  This is happening, and hiding, in plain sight.

Lilly told me about her struggle to find a lawyer to help her.  Criminal law would not touch her case.  Everyone pointed to elder law.  She followed their advice and held confidential consultations with three elder law attorneys, but no one took her case.  Instead, one took that information and colluded with her sibling to take action on her father’s estate.  The first lawyer nominated the second one to represent her father’s temporary legal guardian and conservator until the third was nominated to be his permanent conservator.  By the book, any court-appointed justice would deem this is as unethical.  100 percent a violation of the lawyer-client code.  But this crime is layered and seems to be protected by the courts.  But we must swear and solemnly affirm that what we shall state shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the—

They took the very truths and words against her.  Framed Lilly as the abuser and the reason her father should be under a legal guardian.  While having their cake and eating it too, they rarely know the life inside of a jail cell, or a life removed of agency.  God bless we live to an old age, but god be damned if we get taken by this scandal.  That our lives can be stolen, frozen, and drugged.  For profit.

I went into research mode.  I found several documentaries and news stories attempting to blow the whistle. Mickey Rooney produced a documentary on elder guardianship and exploitation in 2012 called Last Will and Embezzlement.  Headlines pick up the Wendy Williams conservatorship daily.  The #FreeBritney Campaign was a viral sensation.  Mad in America has an informative interview, “’A Playground for Predators’: Diane Dimond on The Abuses of Guardianship.”  Dimond includes too many true stories on the topic, and lists many resources and knowledge to help blow the whistle.

In 2018, true crime director Billie Mintz released The Guardians, an expose on a legal kidnapping business in Nevada.  I had a visceral reaction.  The lawyers, the courts, the nursing staff, and the victims spit lyrics verbatim of what Lilly had told me.  I cold-called the Mintz.

I’ve worked in non-scripted and editorial television since the early aughts.  I pitched my credits in hopes of verifying my ethical intent for a call.  He offered a time for the three of us to speak.

The film exposes a trillion-dollar business.  An unjust common practice that is duplicitously supported and enforced by so-called legal practices.  “Do not go to the courts,” he said on our call.  “They are in on it.”  In the deep waters of directing The Guardians, Mintz learned elder law, and the injustice and inhumane practice of legal guardianship is a calculated effort by the court, the attorneys, and the healthcare system.  He said he entered this world as I did, with reluctance and skepticism.  He could not accept this corruption as fact.  There had to be a catch.  A victim exposed why we cannot imagine these injustices to reach far and wide.  “I had to learn.  There is no universal moral code.”  I’ve been playing those words on repeat daily.  There is no universal moral code.

Lilly told Mintz her backstory.  Her father was very successful and owned many commercial and residential properties.  Her mother passed not long before and he was grieving the loss of a marriage lasting half a decade.  She and her sibling were estranged.  She was appointed, by her father, as power of attorney and health proxy if in the event it was needed.  Her sibling served her papers to remove her titles and take control of her father’s assets.

Between her sibling and a ring of lawyers, blessed by the judge again and again, her father’s financials were compromised and now out of his control. The lawyers found doctors who would willingly sign false statements that he was unable to take care of himself, and they made untrue and harmful claims that Lilly was unable to care for him.  One attorney drugged him to incapacitation so that he was medically unfit to attend the trial.  A judgment can be made without a man in court.

“This is a business.  You are a target.”  Mintz went on.  And I swallowed the harrowing truth.  There is no universal moral code.  He broke down the viciousness of this organized crime and what he learned first-hand while in production.  What is happening to Lilly is textbook.  Play-by-play.  WWE-style blow-by-blow.  The lawyers love it when you push back.  It is a drug.  If it were Vegas, the lawyers would be the house.  You can come to play, but the house always wins.  Lilly remembers a lawyer threatening her: “If you push back, we will ruin you and drain your assets.”

One of the victims in the documentary The Guardians, Julie Belshe, who lost her both of her parents, Rudy and Rennie North to conservatorship, fought tooth and nail to get the District Attorney and the Attorney General to listen, investigate and send their kidnapper April Parks to prison.  She now continues the battle by leading the National Guardianship Liberty Movement.  Belshe confirmed the cycle is a minefield of layering and lawyering.  It is built for you to set off bombs one by one, and the lawyers or the judge step in to provide a solution, one that will then destroy every ounce of faith, every dollar of cash, and every square foot of real estate.

One in ten citizens over the age of 60 suffer elder abuse.  We aren’t expected to retire until 67.  I am not advocating for presidents being at this age, but if they can rule the country, why are our loved ones at such a life-threatening risk?  We work and work and work in the land of the free and the home of the brave to wait for our social security check and now must fear someone taking it from us?  Your golden years ring different when someone else is on the receiving end of your hard-earned cash.

Belshe drew me a diagram and laundry listed the players.  “Everyone is in on it.”  Lawyers, courts, social workers, hospice, doctors, nurses, nursing homes, realtors, rehab centers, and attorney generals.  It goes on.  They wrongfully trick you into legal guardianship, identify vulnerabilities whether a rift in the family or an elder that lives alone, and then attack.  They manage a successful transfer of power to their firm, legally, then reframe your will, your property, your accounts, and your family’s character to their narrative.  They defame and defund you.

“And Lilly’s sibling is a f*cking idiot.”  Belshe said.  “He won’t get a dime.  They are playing him too.”  They spend down.  They bring in a suite of aids, doctors, and physicians that the victim does not need, bill back the hours, generate interest on your money, and liquidate your funds until the elder is on Medicaid.  They accelerate their death and cremate them.

There is no universal moral code.  Just because I am good, and I have empathy, does not mean others do.  It is the removal of our independence—one that this country prides itself on daily.  That which makes us human, more importantly.  Yet, Lady Liberty looks down on us and laughs.

I follow a lawyer/influencer on Instagram/TikTok.  The firm claims to “be different.”  And I’m in too deep not to test the waters.  I emailed them asking for guidance on a case like this.  In under two hours, I received a form letter response.  A form letter I’ve heard Lilly read to me time and time again regarding her quest for help.  After careful consideration….  We regret to…. Seek assistance from a firm that specializes in this type of practice.

The specialists are the enemy.  And I am struggling to find the heroes in this scripted alternate reality.

There are professional criminals in our system who are provided a funded playing field, and sworn into law.  I wish we could tell the whole truth, but this legal mafia is a well-oiled machine, which appears to be veiled and protected by the state itself.

Lilly and I had a call with an acclaimed journalist.  Her take was that American citizens will rally for our elders because we are all destined for their future.  We are in the early stretches of the Silver Tsunami, which is the highest percentage of elders our country has known.  This is the time to knock on the media’s doorstep.  Someone in politics would rally around this during an election year.  (Yet another one in the system capitalizing on this crime.)

Yet we’ve yet to find an investigator to help a family whose monies have been depleted.

We know there is an audience out there.  We are all subject to abuse.  I ask you, rally with us.  Share your common stories and make noise.  Suspend your disbelief and learn secondhand how our country is endorsing terroristic acts against our twilight years.

The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging estimates 1.3 million adult guardianships in the United States and an estimated $50 billion in assets under guardianship arrangements.  Try to remember you are not alone.

You do not need someone to tell you no way, oh my god, I can’t believe it, who would do such a thing?  Find a social support system of others who understand and know this is real.  You need a network that says I know.  This is what we are going to do.

Full Article & Source:
Elder Eyes Wide Shut

Bexar County is seeking funding through federal grant to address elder abuse

The grant would give the county $800,000 over four years. County leaders say they want to build a Senior Justice Assessment Center.

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Bexar County is seeking funding through federal grant to address elder abuse

Video: TCSO arrest man for elder abuse following stolen vehicle investigation

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office arrested a 40-year-old man after deputies found an elderly couple living in poor conditions at his house.

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Video: TCSO arrest man for elder abuse following stolen vehicle investigation

Bexar County among leaders of elder abuse in the state, county trying to change that statistic

The county has introduced a training plan for all city employees to spot elder abuse.

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Bexar County among leaders of elder abuse in the state, county trying to change that statistic

Woman arrested, charges relate to elder abuse

A Baltimore County woman is being held in jail without bond, accused of neglecting the care of a family member, according to charging documents obtained by 11 News Investigates. The family member is a woman who was a double amputee and had been bedridden for 15 years. Neighbors told 11 News they are upset and disturbed by what has happened. They did not want to speak on camera, but some said the family had just moved in several months ago.

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Woman arrested, charges relate to elder abuse 

Klamath Falls nurse pleads guilty to criminal mistreatment, elder abuse

By: Isabela Lund

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- A Klamath Falls nurse plead guilty to first-degree criminal mistreatment after neglecting three residents at Pacifica Senior Living in January 2022. 

According to a news release from the Oregon Department of Justice, the nurse -- Phyllis Dodds -- reached a plea deal that will require her to surrender her Oregon RN license, be placed on three years of supervised probation, perform 150 hours of community service and not work as a paid caregiver again. 

Oregon DOJ says Dodds failed to "provide nursing care" to three residents by not performing RN assessments and "[failing] to provide basic follow up medical treatment."

This includes one patient who died, the release said. 

"Dodds pled guilty to neglecting an elderly and vulnerable patient by failing to complete a critical nursing assessment, failing to communicate with staff on scene, and failing to properly document actions taken and results in January 2022," the release said. "The patient was found deceased in his bed the morning after these failures occurred." 

Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum congratulated the Klamath County Sheriff's Office and Klamath County Adult Protective Services for pursuing the case. 

"Elder abuse in any form is unconscionable and reprehensible," Rosenblum said in the release. "When it rises to this level of criminal mistreatment, it is imperative that we hold offenders accountable."

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Klamath Falls nurse pleads guilty to criminal mistreatment, elder abuse

Family sues Lafayette nursing home over elder abuse, criminal investigation underway

Family sues Lafayette nursing home over elder abuse, criminal investigation underway

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Family sues Lafayette nursing home over elder abuse, criminal investigation underway

When financial fraud becomes elder abuse

by Rabihah Butler

Elder abuse is more than physical violence or depriving of necessities, and in some severe cases, it is an attack on the mental and financial well-being of elderly people that can lead to the loss of savings or a broken heart

Elderly Americans, those 60 years old and above, are generally considered to be a vulnerable class — and with age comes concerns about physical health, mental agility, and overall security. While it is important to look out for the physical safety of the potential victim when looking at elder abuse, financial abuse often can be just as harmful.

Traditional elder financial abuse would likely come in the form of a close acquaintance taking advantage of their relationship with the victim to take possession of their property or money. This abuse could include manipulation to get expensive jewelry or convincing a vulnerable person to disclose bank codes allowing the illicit actor to drain the victim’s accounts.

While these are crimes, of course, they are much easier to catch and protect against than other types of financial fraud. In fact, bank employees are now encouraged to look for the signs of this type of manipulation and actively take steps to prevent it. However, less traditional financial abuse is becoming more concerning.

With theft by fraud skyrocketing — losses jumped to more than $10 billion in 2023, from $2.4 billion in 2019 — the rapid rate of is growth should put people (especially those in more vulnerable situations, like the elderly) into a more defensive and skeptical position. Indeed, elderly individuals are disproportionally vulnerable to this more complex and harder to detect type of theft.

In its 2023 report, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) indicated that individuals under the age of 20 were the demographic least impacted by scams and fraud with only 18,000 reported victims, while those 60 years old and older saw more than 101,000 reported victims.

Understanding the root cause of elder fraud

Yet, to more fully understand the problem that some elders are facing you must first look at the root. Desperation and greed are among the reasons scammers have ramped up the use of schemes that will get money quickly from elderly victims. Scammers also look for options that have the lowest risk, so when considering crimes, they see elderly individuals as prime targets for several reasons, including:

• • • They assume that elderly individuals are the most likely to have disposable income or savings. While younger individuals are beginning their careers and are just starting to earn money, elderly individuals have had time to amass savings and often have disposable income available for use and investment.
    • Elderly people are often less knowledgeable about the complexities of technology, including newer ways of investing. This lack of understanding around recently developed technology platforms making it easier to manipulate the victim. This would include venues like dating apps or digital currency platforms.
    • The older the population gets, the more likely they are to be retired, widowed, or lonely. Often, this leads to elderly individuals seeking companionship or friendship; and sometimes, looking for those connections online can open up a whole different world of (unverified and anonymous) people with whom to connect.
    • Elderly people also tend to adhere to more conservative beliefs, keeping finances to themselves and not asking for help. So, during manipulation and even after a financial loss, elderly victims are often left in a situation in which they are less likely to speak about it. This makes reporting, prevention, and tracking more difficult.

This spring, several government agencies — including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) — all took notice of the situation and issued warnings or guidance on the increases in elder financial crime, a stark reminder of this widespread problem.

In fact, FinCEN found that between June 2022 and June 2023, it had received 155,415 Elder Financial Exploitation (EFE)-related Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports associated with more than $27 billion in reported suspicious activity, which may include both actual and attempted transactions. It is important to note that this is only the number that was reported and does not account for instances in which individuals did not catch on to the fact they were the victim of a scam or instances in which the loss was not reported for other reasons. Further, an AARP report says that more than 40% of Americans (an estimated 141.5 million adults) say they have lost money to scams or had sensitive information obtained and used fraudulently.

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While it is easy to count how much money is lost, it’s not as easy to count the number of individuals who suffer from depression or even suicidal attempts as a result of being scammed.

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Elders are now facing many complex scams that are aimed at taking advantage of them in more significant ways. In 2023, the Top 5 scams reported to the IC3 were: tech support scams, personal data breaches, romance and confidence scams, product scams (non-payment or non-delivery), and investment scams. IC3 reports that the losses to investment scams alone totaled more than$1 billion in 2023.

And there is another factor that most people don’t even consider in the aftermath of a tremendous financial loss. While it is easy to count how much money is lost, it’s not as easy to count the number of individuals who suffer from depression or even suicidal attempts as a result of being scammed. For example, a 74-year-old retired teacher in Tennessee who was scammed for nearly $100,000 ultimately took his life as a result. In this case, the scammers were caught, but it highlights how these crimes need to be taken seriously.

Eva Velasquez, a former investigator for the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and who now serves as president and CEO of the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center, said the organization’s most recent study noted a sharp increase in the number of fraud victims who reported having thoughts of suicide after being conned.

What is clear is that it is important to educate elderly Americans on the use of technology and the reg flags they will inevitably come across, especially online. It is also important to continue to report and track these elderly financial abuse scams in order to try to prevent them in the future.

Full Article & Source:
When financial fraud becomes elder abuse

Elderly abuse suspects took pictures of dead patients and 'played in pubic hair'

Story by Fionnuala Boyle

Three care home employees have been charged with the sexual exploitation of elderly residents. An inquiry by Guthrie Police Department kicked off in April when an ex-staffer blew the whistle on their colleagues' behaviour.

Jade Williams, 21, Aubrey Granata, 21, and McKenzie Bolfa, 21, have been slapped with serious charges of elder abuse at Golden Age Nursing Home in Oklahoma. Don Sweger, Guthrie's top cop, told KFOR-TV: "Some employees were involved in sending inappropriate pictures of their patients. We found pictures of some deceased person.

"We found some pictures of the suspects playing in pubic hair."

The charge sheet accuses the women of pinging Snapchats amongst themselves, including one grim video of an elderly man on his bed, clad only in a shirt and nappy, surrounded by his own mess.  

Another clip showed a chap naked from the waist down. Even more appalling, snaps were found showing the deceased being ridiculed post-mortem by these workers.

"It's probably one of the saddest things," Sweger said during the sit-down video interview. "We take service to everybody very responsibly, but especially for those who don't have a voice for themselves."

In response to the allegations, Golden Age director Tandie Hastings released a statement: "Golden Age Nursing Home endeavors to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents.

"Upon receiving information related to certain allegations against its employees, the facility began working with local law enforcement and other appropriate authorities to respond.

"The employees involved had cleared background checks, were educated related to resident's rights/safety and have been terminated from employment. We are committed to protecting the privacy and safety of the residents and families involved and will continue to keep them updated with any developments related to this matter."

On June 24, Williams, Granata, and Bolfa were charged with counts of conspiracy and elder abuse. Records indicate that Williams is still in custody awaiting bond.

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Elderly abuse suspects took pictures of dead patients and 'played in pubic hair'

Arrest made for kidnapping and elder abuse in South San Francisco

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California — Police responded to an apartment complex on Linden Avenue after a woman called for help on June 6, 2024.

Officers determined a 70-year-old resident was threatened with a knife and held against her will by her grandson, 30-year-old Miguel Gutierrez, of South San Francisco. During initial negotiations, Gutierrez forced the victim back into the apartment and barricaded the door, prompting a response from NCR SWAT and the Crisis Negotiating Team (CNT).

CNT negotiated with Gutierrez for approximately six hours, attempting to de-escalate the situation and secure the victim's safe release. As negotiations stalled and concerns for the victim's welfare grew, SWAT personnel conducted a high-risk hostage rescue shortly after midnight. The victim was safely rescued, and Gutierrez was taken into custody without injuries.

Gutierrez was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on charges of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, elder abuse, and brandishing a weapon.

A statement from the South San Francisco Police Department read, "A big THANK YOU to our dispatchers, patrol officers, NCR SWAT/CNT teams, and neighboring law enforcement agencies for a safe ending to a highly dangerous situation."

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Arrest made for kidnapping and elder abuse in South San Francisco