Woman accused of exploiting elderly at illegal assisted living facility

HIALEAH, Fla. - Hialeah Police Department officers said they found a house of horrors Thursday.

They were responding to reports that a man was feeling suicidal. But it wasn't the man that concerned them the most. It was the "elderly residents who had urinated themselves," the refrigerator that was under lock and key, and that there weren't enough beds, according to a report. 

"Multiple residents stated they sleep on the floor, while others share beds," a police officer wrote in an arrest report. "I observed three people sleeping on the same bed."

Officers said they found 25 adults, ages 20 to 80, in neglectful conditions at 17 E. 10 St., near the Hispanic American United Methodist Church. Officers said they were under the care of Martha Perez Rodriguez. 

The residents of the home accused the 60-year-old woman of regularly administering a drug that made them feel lethargic, police said. 

Some of the residents said they were paying Perez Rodriguez anywhere from $500 to $750 a month to be there. They told police officers she was receiving their disability checks and not giving them a penny. 

Kevin Rotter said he lived in a separate part of the property and said he had no idea that there was neglect inside of the home. He said he later saw the mess inside. The backyard of the home looked like a junk yard. 

"It looked like a crack house," Rotter said. 

Officers arrested Perez Rodriguez who is facing charges of operating an assisted living facility without a license and exploitation of the elderly and the disabled. 

Miami-Dade property records show Felix Cruz Valdes is the owner of the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home, where the arrest was made. The home is not the only one in the neighborhood. The licensed Palm Breeze Assisted Living Facility operates next door. 



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Woman accused of exploiting elderly at illegal assisted living facility

Wells pastor accused of exploiting elderly

Peter Leon of Wells

A Wells man who is listed as a senior pastor at the Wells Branch Baptist Church, also known as Trinity Coastal Community Church, faces multiple charges in connection with the alleged exploitation of an incapacitated elderly Kennebunk woman in May.

Peter Leon, 66, is scheduled to make a first appearance at York County Superior Court in Alfred on Dec. 18. The grand jury this month handed up indictments charging Leon with felony and misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a dependent person along with misdemeanor criminal restraint, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and theft.

Police said Leon befriended the elderly woman while he was volunteering as a pastor at Atria Senior Living where she lived.

Kennebunk Police Detective Steve Borst said the elderly victim had been determined to be incapacitated by the state and had been assigned a guardian and conservator. Borst said police became involved when the conservator called to make inquiries about keeping Leon away from the woman through a protection order.

“Her attorney told me he actually took her from the [senior residence] — to the bank, and withdrew some money,” Borst said. The amount was not disclosed.

Police allege Leon used the money to have the locks changed on the woman’s Kennebunkport home, which was on the market, and took the “for sale” sign down.

According to Borst, Leon allegedly told the woman he’d help her return to her home, even though the property was not equipped for wheelchair access which she required, and suggested his daughter would live with the woman.

“His goal was to ingratiate himself and have access to her accounts and property,” Borst alleged.

It is unclear if Leon remains pastor of the church.

On Sept. 15, Leon filed an appeal of his Sept. 1 conviction for misdemeanor assault that involved touching a 15-year-old girl on the back while in a line at a Sanford fast food restaurant in the fall of 2016. Leon also allegedly made a suggestive remark to the girl. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which were suspended, and placed on one-year administrative release, with the conditions that he refrain from criminal conduct, not possess or use any unlawful drugs, notify the District Attorney’s Office of any contact with law enforcement within 96 hours and to have no contact with the victim, among other conditions. He was fined $300.

Leon ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nod for the Maine House of Representatives in the June 2014 primary. His resume includes a stint as a president of the Wells Rotary Club.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Leon has been a tennis coach, a volunteer firefighter, and was a special education teacher for the Calais School Department for 10 years, as well as a recreation director for the eastern Washington County city. The LinkedIn profile lists Leon as the owner-instructor at Leon’s International Tennis Center. No telephone listing could be found for the center.

Leon, according to his LinkedIn profile, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theology from New England Bible College in 1984.

Borst said court papers ordering Leon to stay away from the woman were issued within a few days of the conservator’s initial inquiry, and he advised family members or friends of the elderly who feel someone may be taking advantage of them to contact authorities.

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Wells pastor accused of exploiting elderly

She spent five nights in jail. She was actually a victim of the crime, sheriff says.

Hancock County - A Saucier woman accused of stealing identities and exploiting an elderly man will not face criminal charges after all.

The five charges on which Lynda Wolfe was arrested have been dismissed, Sheriff Ricky Adam confirmed Wednesday.

Shara Faye Leon, the neighbor arrested with Wolfe, now faces a new charge of identity theft.

“Ms. Wolfe was indeed a victim of identity theft herself,” Adam said.

“Early on, it appeared she was involved because her name was on some paid receipts. In actuality, after further investigation and looking at her information, she was indeed a victim herself.”

Deputies arrested Wolfe, 55, on five charges Nov. 14.

She spent five nights in jail on bonds that totaled $55,000.

Both women initially were accused of stealing identities and paying bills with other people’s money. One of the victims was an elderly man, the sheriff said.

Leon, 39, has remained in custody at the Hancock County jail on the same bonds set for Wolfe.

An investigator presented Leon with an arrest warrant Tuesday for the new charge. She has no bond on that charge pending an initial court appearance, the jail docket showed Wednesday.

The original charges filed are exploitation of a vulnerable adult, identity theft, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit identity theft.

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She spent five nights in jail. She was actually a victim of the crime, sheriff says.

Man arrested for numerous financial crimes, exploiting the elderly

WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather & Sports COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – A man has been arrested on numerous counts of financial card theft, identity fraud, and financial exploitation of the elderly.

On Monday, The Columbus Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit arrested 40-year-old Jeremy Pritchett and charged him with 17 counts of financial transaction card theft, 14 counts of identity fraud, and 10 counts of financial exploitation of an elderly person.

An investigation conducted revealed 14 victims in this case. The majority of the victims were over the age of 65 and were living on a fixed income.

Columbus Police say the two-month investigation began in September when a woman who identified herself as a member of Hurricane Irma evacuees seeking shelter in Columbus, visited the Wells Fargo bank on 13th Street in Uptown Columbus.

Police say the woman asked for her savings account balance, listed at $90,000, but explained Pritchett was said to be the only person who could give her the account statement. Further investigation led police to the discovery of the alleged crimes connected to Pritchett.

We spoke to Financial Managing Partner Tyler Townsend, of Townsend Wealth Management, who says people should always be cautious with their finances and credit.

"We need to think our information is already out there," says Townsend. "What that means is we need to freeze our credit now. That way no one can take a loan in your name."

Pritchett will make his first Recorder’s Court hearing on November 9 at 9 a.m. ET.

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Man arrested for numerous financial crimes, exploiting the elderly

Gwinnett Special Victims Unit arrests couple for exploiting elderly housekeeper

Ana Zaharia and Daniel Zaharia

BUFORD, GA (CBS46) - On November 17, 2016, a Gwinnett County Police Department Special Victims Unit detective was assigned an exploitation of an at-risk adult case.

The complaint was forwarded to GCPD from the Duluth Police Department after being initially reported by the victim’s bank.

The basis of the case was suspicions that Ana Zaharia, 34, and her husband, Daniel Zaharia, 41, may possibly be financially exploiting a 64-year old Buford woman and her late husband’s estate.

The 64-year old woman’s husband was a successful business owner prior to his death.

A forensic audit was conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Financial Investigations Unit.

After receiving the results of the audit, it appeared as though the Zaharias were diverting significant sums of money--at least a half million dollars--from the victim for their own personal use.

This had been going on for several years.

The detective said that Ana was the victim’s housekeeper.

Ana arranged for her husband and children to move into the victim’s home.

On July 7, 2017, two detectives visited the victim’s home on Anna Ruby Lane in Buford.

Upon their arrival, they noticed the 64-year old woman on the floor of her bedroom suffering from an apparent fall.

She was taken to a local hospital to be treated. After she was transported from the home, both suspects were interviewed.

Following their interview with the suspects, the detectives followed up with an interview with the victim at the local hospital.

On July 13, the detectives, along with Gwinnett Senior Services returned to the residence. Ana and Daniel were then placed under arrest. They were both charged with:

 Exploitation of an At-Risk Adult (16-5-102)

 Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) (16-14-4)

 Theft by Taking (16-8-2)

 Records and Reports of Currency (7-1-915)

The victim refused to be placed in an alternate senior home despite numerous attempts made by the detectives and the representative from Gwinnett Senior Services.

Ana and Daniel were transported to the Gwinnett County Jail on Thursday, July 13, and have since bonded out.

According to the lead detective, Ana and Daniel have special considerations of bond stating that they are not allowed to have any contact with the victim.

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Gwinnett Special Victims Unit arrests couple for exploiting elderly housekeeper

Personal care home worker accused of exploitation of elderly

A personal care home employee accused of withdrawing money from an Alzheimer’s patient’s bank account is in jail on a charge of exploitation of the elderly.

Maxine Donaldson, 51, was arrested Monday on the felony charge that carries a potential prison term of up to 20 years. She is expected to be in Richmond County Magistrate Court on Wednesday for an initial appearance.

According to the arrest warrant, Donaldson added herself to the bank account of a 69-year-old resident of the Shavonna’s Place of Care on Fairview Avenue. The warrant states that Donaldson withdrew $27,989 from the bank account between Oct. 25 and July 24.

The warrant accuses Donaldson of obtaining access to the bank account through undue influence, coercion, duress, deception or false representation.

According to the Department of Community Health, Shavonna’s, a state-licensed home for up to six patients, had no violations during its latest inspection in March. In February 2015, an investigation of three complaints at the home also found no violations.

When The Augusta Chronicle checked earlier in the year on business licenses for local personal care homes, Shavonna’s did not have one, which meant it had not undergone a fire marshal’s inspection. The home has since then become licensed, according to the city’s licensing and inspection division.

Donaldson had been the administrator of another personal care home, Maxi Maxi on Damascus Road.

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Personal care home worker accused of exploitation of elderly

Jailhouse call from suspect accused of exploiting the elderly leads judge to delay granting bond

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Professional guardian Fernando Gutierrez was charged last month with financially exploiting seniors through power of attorney or health care surrogate agreements.

He couldn't use the money from his business bank accounts to pay bond, because prosecutors thought that money may have come from victims.

The call for help Guitierrez made from jail made the judge suspicious as well.

Prosecutors allege professional guardian Fernando Gutierrez stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from vulnerable seniors he was supposed to protect.

“He used that money for various things like paying his kids' tuition, paying his mortgage,” said State’s Attorney Adam Ross.

And because Gutierrez still had joint bank accounts with multiple clients, the judge ordered him not to use any money from business accounts for his $750,000 bond.

“You have to be able to show that the assets that would be used to bail yourself out are not ill-gotten gain,” said Judge Nancy Moate Ley during his first court appearance.

That same day, Gutierrez made a phone call from jail to his family.

“This call is from a corrections facility and is subject to monitoring and recording,” the recording of the jail call said.

“They want to see where the money's coming from,” Gutierrez told a family member during call.

He also instructed his daughter how to access his Wells Fargo Bank accounts through a computer.

“Ok, we're in,” she said, after putting in his account name and password.

“Ok, you'll see all those accounts,” Gutierrez said. “Try to limit your conversation as much as you can.”

“Ok. Yeah,” she replied.

He then walked her through how to move money for his bond into her own account.

“Maybe you should go to the bank and get cash and deposit it into your account,” he said.

“Which check you want me to use?” she asked.

“You know the one, not the business check, the other one. The other one. The other one,” he said. “And speak limited words.”

He also gives instructions to his wife.

“Just deposit it in the joint account, your account, ok? “ he said.

And to a niece to whom he sent money.

“Just hold onto it until I get to the hearing for my bond and I'll tell you how much to take out,” he told her.

“Yes. tell us how much you need and we'll deposit it to whoever's account or whatever,” she said.

“No, no, no, no, no. It'd have to come from your account,” he told her.

“Just hold it. Just hold everything for now,” he said.

At his bond hearing, those same family members pledged money toward his bond, but the judge wouldn't accept the funds as coming independently from his accounts, sending Gutierrez back to jail for a week until another family member pledged property.

When he was released, it was with new conditions.

 He removes himself from all non-family joint accounts,” said Judge Nancy Moate Ley.

“If you bond out of jail and don't have the where with all to do this, we could put you back in jail,” she said.

Gutierrez has until august 14th to get his name off all his clients’ bank accounts.

At the time of his arrest, he was the guardian, power of attorney or health care surrogate for more than fifty people.

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Jailhouse call from suspect accused of exploiting the elderly leads judge to delay granting bond

Jailhouse call from suspect accused of exploiting the elderly leads judge to delay granting bond

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Professional guardian Fernando Gutierrez was charged last month with financially exploiting seniors through power of attorney or health care surrogate agreements.

He couldn't use the money from his business bank accounts to pay bond, because prosecutors thought that money may have come from victims.

The call for help Guitierrez made from jail made the judge suspicious as well.

Prosecutors allege professional guardian Fernando Gutierrez stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from vulnerable seniors he was supposed to protect.

Full Article & Source:
Jailhouse call from suspect accused of exploiting the elderly leads judge to delay granting bond