Two arrested for case of severe elder abuse in Oak Grove, victim in grave condition

by Adam May

Two Oak Grove residents have been arrested for alleged abuse and neglect of an elderly man that has put him in a hospital in grave condition.

Arrest warrants for 43-year old Jacob Gilstrap and 39-year old Ann Harrison of Oak Grove allege that while in a caretaker role, they forced a 70-year old man to live alone in a camper outside of their Timberline Circle home between March 1 and July 10.

They took the victim to a hospital when he became unresponsive and medical staff reported signs of sepsis, gangrene, an open wound to the bone of his leg and numerous pressure ulcers consistent with neglect.

Bilateral leg amputations were necessary and the man remains in septic shock, according to the warrant.

The victim was severely malnourished, with medical personnel indicating he had not eaten in several days and that a feeding tube would be required.

Gilstrap and Harrison were in charge of the victim’s finances and bank staff confirmed to police that the victim’s account is overdrawn every month until his social security check is deposited. In addition to other withdrawals, there is a monthly electronic withdrawal for a life insurance policy on the victim.

Both suspects are charged with criminal abuse in the first-degree, knowing abuse or neglect of an adult and exploitation of an adult—all felonies.

They were arrested by Oak Grove Police Thursday night and lodged in the Christian County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

Both appeared for arraignment Friday in Christian District Court, with Gilstrap given a public defender after telling Judge Foster Cotthoff that he is unemployed.

Harrison asked to be released on her own recognizance, but Judge Cotthoff instead increased both of their bonds to $100,000, saying he’s been told the victim may not survive.

Not guilty pleas were entered for both suspects and both will appear for preliminary hearings for Friday of next week.

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Two arrested for case of severe elder abuse in Oak Grove, victim in grave condition

Kentucky prosecutor may get suspended for promising a defendant favors for nude images

by Andrew Wolfson

Ronnie Goldy Jr.

Citing The Courier Journal’s story that a Kentucky prosecutor promised to do favors for a defendant in exchange for nude images of her, an inquiry commission has asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to temporarily suspend Ronnie Goldy Jr. from practicing law.

“He has abused his office, abused the trust of the public and brought the legal system of Kentucky into disrepute,” said the petition, filed July 14 at the court.

“His conduct shows a clear lack of fitness to practice law in Kentucky, much less represent the commonwealth in serious criminal matters,” says the pleading, filed by the Kentucky Bar Association’s chief bar counsel Jane Herrick.

The inquiry commission said it found probable cause to believe Goldy poses a substantial threat of harm to the public.

It asked the court as soon as possible to order him to show cause why he should not be temporarily suspended.

An inquiry commission initiates disciplinary charges against attorneys.

The Courier Journal reported July 12 that in 230 pages of Facebook messages from 2018 to 2020, Goldy, the elected prosecutor for Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties, told defendant Misty Helton if she sent him the nude images, he would talk to judges about continuing her cases and setting aside warrants.

The petition incorporates the Courier Journal’s story and six of the messages excerpted by the newspaper.

It says that in addition to moving for the temporary suspension, the inquiry panel also has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Goldy. If they are sustained, Goldy could be reprimanded, suspended or disbarred.

Neither Goldy nor his lawyer, James Davis, responded to a request for comment.

Goldy has denied he did favors for Helton but declined to offer any explanation for the messages, which emerged in an unrelated criminal case against a former judge.

The inquiry panel said the messages demonstrate Goldy’s “quid pro quo expectation on multiple occasions” that he get photos or videos for his “intervention in her interest.”

The president of the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Association and all three commonwealth’s attorneys on the state Prosecutors Advisory Council have said Goldy should resign if the allegations are true.

The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a question about who would appoint Goldy’s temporary successor.

R. Michael Cassidy, the author of “Prosecutorial Ethics,” a leading work on the topic, was quoted in the story saying that “even a fifth-grader would know this is inappropriate and doesn’t pass the smell test.”

Former prosecutors said Goldy may have committed a crime.

In one of the messages, Goldy asked Helton, “When do I get to see a video?” and she replied, “When I do I not have a warrant hahaha.”

In another, she asked him, “What do I need to do to get that warrant taken care of — besides the obvious, lmao." Goldy responded, “Let me ask the judge tomorrow.”

Louisville attorney Thomas Clay, who represents former Judge Beth Maze in a criminal case and who provided the messages to The Courier Journal, said the inquiry panel had taken "swift and appropriate measures to investigate the allegations against Mr. Goldy."

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Kentucky prosecutor may get suspended for promising a defendant favors for nude images

Nigerian National Extradited for Defrauding Elderly Victims and Money Laundering

 Department of Justice 

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of Kentucky

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

 

Nigerian National Extradited for Defrauding Elderly Victims and Money Laundering

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Nigerian national, Adedunmola Gbadegesin, has been extradited to the United States, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering, stemming from the financial exploitation of elderly victims in the United States.           

According to a recently unsealed Court documents, a federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging Adedunmola Gbadegesin, 33, of Lagos, Nigeria, alongside two others, Olatunbosun Oluwakayode Ajayi, 34, of Atlanta Georgia, and Otunuya Ineh Eqwem Livingstone, 45, of Houston Texas, with conspiracy to commit money laundering.           

The indictment alleges that Gbadegesin and his co-conspirators collaborated to create fake online dating profiles, to post to online dating websites.  As part of the alleged conspiracy, the co-conspirators would engage in online chats, emails, and telephone calls with unwitting victims, who were located in the United States, including one in Lexington.  The indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators would convince the victims to send money to the nonexistent romantic partners or give them access to their financial accounts, so the co-conspirators could initiate money transfers themselves.           

The indictment also alleges that Gbadegesin hired others in the U.S. to receive funds from victims and to launder those funds, so the funds could be returned back to Gbadegesin in Nigeria.  Those United States-based money launderers included Ineh Eqwem, Ajayi, and Ismaila Fafunmi.

Fafunmi pleaded guilty to his role in the money laundering scheme; and in August 2021, he received 51 months in prison.  Ineh Eqwem and Ajayi have also pleaded guilty for their roles in the money laundering scheme; they were sentenced to 24 months and 12 months, respectively.

Gbadgesin was arrested by Nigerian authorities on Sept. 22, 2021, in Lagos, Nigeria at the request of the United States. At the time of his arrest, Gbadgesein had been residing in Lagos, Nigeria.  Nigeria approved his extradition on March 21, 2021, and he was transferred into U.S. custody on April 26, 2022.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the indictment.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI.  The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria, the Nigerian Attorney General’s Office, the Central Authority Unity, and the FBI Louisville Field Office assisted with the extradition of Gbadgesein.

Gbadegesin has his first appearance in Court on May 2, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000.  However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and prosecute those persons who facilitate elder financial exploitation.

The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission, being carried out through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force, is to seek justice for victims of elder financial exploitation.  Anyone that knows someone, who may be a victim of an elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement.

            Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.                                                                                                  

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Nigerian National Extradited for Defrauding Elderly Victims and Money Laundering