Woman accused of exploitation, neglect backs out of plea deal

A woman accused of exploiting and neglecting the elderly and disabled residents of licensed and unlicensed person care homes in Augusta backed out of a plea deal Friday morning, firing her attorney and waiving her demand for a speedy trial.

 

Margaret Dale Freeman, 60, was scheduled to stand trial Monday in Richmond County Superior Court on a 26-count criminal indictment that stemmed from one of the first cases pursued by the new personal care home task force, Crimes Against the Vulnerable and Elderly.

After a pretrial hearing Thursday, Freeman was prepared to accept a plea deal - 12 years in prison followed by life on probation - that was set to expire Friday. The sentencing hearing was set for Friday morning.

But Freeman told Judge John Flythe on Friday morning that while she considered attorney Charles Rollins a friend, she believed it was in her best interested to waive her right to a speedy trial and hire another attorney to present her side of the case.

“I apologize for any inconvenience to the court,” Freeman said. She has been held in jail since her Oct. 1 arrest.

District Attorney Natalie Paine protested that both sides had worked diligently to prepare for the trial set to begin Monday. The prosecution had more than 50 witnesses under subpoena. Several other people who have been in jail months and even years had their cases postponed so Freeman’s speedy trial demand could be honored, Paine said. She wanted assurance that Friday’s action wasn’t intended to just delay the trial.

Flythe said he understood, but Freeman had released her defense attorney and she should not be forced to represent herself next week.

Freeman was charged with the exploitation and neglect of elderly and disabled residents who lived in one licensed personal care home, Joshua House 3, and several other houses prosecutors contend were unlicensed personal care homes.

She is charged with 15 counts of neglect of a disabled adult, two counts of exploitation of a disabled adult, four felony counts of operating an unlicensed personal care home, one misdemeanor count of operating an unlicensed personal care home, and four counts of misdemeanor obstruction of an investigation.

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Woman accused of exploitation, neglect backs out of plea deal

Ogden nursing home worker with criminal record accused of exploiting residents

Mary Olwyn Booth

OGDEN — A woman with a history of retail theft, forgery and crimes against the elderly or disabled has been charged with committing similar crimes at an Ogden nursing home, according to the Weber County District Attorney.

Court records show Mary Olwyn Booth, 61, was charged Aug. 28 with six counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, all third-degree felonies; unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial transaction card, a third-degree felony; and four counts of unlawful use of a financial transaction card, a Class B misdemeanor.

Booth was hired Feb. 1 by Crestwood Rehabilitation and Nursing, a nursing home for the elderly at 3665 Brinker Ave., court documents say. Booth worked in the salon and provided hair care services to the residents, who would pay her through trust accounts — the individual funds managed for them by the facility’s administrative staff.

Shortly after being hired, Booth requested a Square credit card reader to accept payments from residents or family members who wanted to pay her directly, court records say.

Booth was supposed to turn in a log sheet of services she’d provided weekly in order to be paid from the trust accounts, but Crestwood did not require her to account for payments processed with the Square card reader, charging documents say.

Questions were raised, court documents say, when Booth allegedly turned in a log sheet May 6 showing all five residents to whom she’d provided salon services wanted to tip her either $5 or $10 — including a resident described as “non-verbal.”

A staff investigation revealed the residents, “four of whom are very much alert and would be able to articulate their desire to give Mary a tip,” had their wishes misrepresented by Booth and either hadn’t offered a tip or asked to tip $1, court documents say.

Further investigation by Utah Adult Protective Services alleged Booth unlawfully used a resident’s credit card information to deposit money to her own bank account on at least four occasions, totaling $213.75 in unauthorized charges.

Reached by phone, the manager at Crestwood Care Center declined to comment on the investigation.

Court records show Booth has prior convictions in Utah for similar crimes:

• Last August, Booth was charged with retail theft and theft by deception in Salt Lake County for making fraudulent returns at a Nordstrom Rack store totaling $695.33 and stealing a $300 pair of boots. She pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted retail theft, a Class A misdemeanor, and was placed on 18 months probation.
• In September 2002, Booth was charged with eight counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. She pleaded guilty to three of the counts. Records show she was ordered to serve probation after 90 days in jail.
• In July 2002, Booth was charged with exploitation of a disabled or elderly adult, a third-degree felony. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months probation. 

Booth is being held in Weber County Jail on $39,000 bail and is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 31. 

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Ogden nursing home worker with criminal record accused of exploiting residents