BY BEN WHEELER
Stephanie Peterson, formerly Butler, pleaded guilty Monday to
13 charges related to elder abuse stemming from when she was operator of
an assisted living facility.
Peterson was the head of Senior
Lifestyles, an assisted living facility in Putnam County, which was
raided last year by law enforcement, and Peterson was subsequently
indicted on 28 charges related to allegations of elder abuse, financial
exploitation, money laundering and obtaining controlled substances by
fraud.
Thirteenth Judicial District Assistant District Attorney
Mark Gore questioned Criminal Investigator Randal Slayton regarding his
investigation into the allegations against Peterson during Monday's plea
hearing in Putnam County Criminal Court.
"Our investigation was
initiated as a result of a (Vulnerable Adult Protective Investigation
Team) meeting," Slayton said. "There were a plethora of allegations that
ranged, financial malfeasance against residents."
Slayton said
during the investigation, which began in February 2018, he found a
number of times when Peterson was found to be taking money or
prescription medication from patients of Senior Lifestyles. He also
discovered poor living conditions in the facility such as bed bugs and
residents in urine-soaked clothing.
Slayton said that local law
enforcement reports alleged residents had wandered from the facility and
that financial crimes were committed against residents.
One of
those crimes was against a man who reportedly began his stay at Senior
Lifestyles with roughly $7,645.67 in his accounts prior to entering the
facility. Slayton said shortly after the man moved in, the account began
having withdrawals totaling thousands of dollars, including a roughly
$200 purchase at Opry Mills. When Slayton interviewed Peterson, she
admitted to the purchase at Opry Mills. Slayton testified that Peterson
said she "had a good old time." Eventually, the entire account was
drained.
After one patient left the facility, Peterson reportedly
took that patient's remaining medication and told her daughter to
destroy the packaging of the medication, according to Slayton.
Peterson
also would reportedly overcharge rent from patients' bank accounts and
take credit cards out under at least one patient's name.
The plea
agreement results in an effective 10-year sentence; however, the plea
agreement does not cover how Peterson serves the sentence.
Peterson pleaded guilty to 13 of the 28 charges:
• Knowing abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult over $1,000.
• Theft of property over $2,500
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult over $2,500
• Identity theft
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult over $1,000
• Financial exploitation of elderly/vulnerable adult
• Financial exploitation of elderly/vulnerable adult over $2,500
• Financial exploitation of elderly/vulnerable adult over $1,000
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult less than $1,000
• Financial exploitation of an elderly/vulnerable adult less than $1,000.
A
sentencing hearing is set for March 23, 2020 in Putnam County Criminal
Court. Defense attorneys said they plan to call at least one expert for
the defense at the hearing. Judge Gary McKenzie presided over the case.
McKenzie
requested she be supervised by the Tennessee Department of Corrections
during the time leading up to the sentencing hearing.
"Months of
investigation went into preparing to charge Ms. Butler. I am pleased
that Butler’s exploitation of the residents of Senior Lifestyles was
stopped," 13th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway said.
"The
effort of investigators and prosecutors in this case put a stop to the
victimization of truly vulnerable people who could not help themselves
and have prevented the victimization of many others. Our law enforcement
community takes elder abuse very seriously. We get up everyday to do
what we can to keep people from hurting others and to punish those who
do."
Co-conspirator in the case, Brian Fitzhugh Richey was
indicted with Peterson and pleaded guilty in February 2018 to one count
of obtaining controlled substances by fraud, waiving his right to a jury
trial. Richey was later indicted on federal charges relating to his
time working with MedManagement Inc., which managed Pain MD.
Full Article & Source:
Peterson pleads guilty to multiple elder abuse charges
