Nursing home employees arrested in large-scale fraud scheme involving the elderly: Sheriff

by Skyler Shepard

The sheriff's office said there were multiple texts between (from left to right) Angella Jackson, Lashantia Brown and two other people — 20-year-old Janorris Johnson and 33-year-old Kanisha Altidor. All four of them were benefitting from the fraudulent charges. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Four nursing home employees were arrested after detectives said a large-scale fraud scheme that involved 14 elderly victims and at three different Assisted Living Facility (ALF) locations.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the investigation began on June 30, 2022, after receiving a report of fraudulent use of a credit card from a victim living in an ALF. 

As the investigation continued, detectives said they were able to identify two suspects, 43-year-old Angella Jackson and her daughter, 28-year-old Lashantia Brown. The two were employees at three different ALFs over a period of several months.  

As the investigation continued, detectives said they were able to identify two suspects, 43-year-old Angella Jackson (left) and her daughter, 28-year-old Lashantia Brown (right). The two were employees at three different ALFs over a period of several months. (Pinellas County Sheriff;s Office)

Detectives said the mother-daughter duo would take photos of the victims’ debit cards and credit cards and then share the information through text with each other. Photos of a driver’s license belonging to two elderly victims were in Brown’s phone.

Another discovery revealed two others involved in the scheme.

The sheriff's office said there were multiple texts between Brown, Jackson and two other people — 33-year-old Kanisha Altidor and 20-year-old Janorris Johnson. All four of them were benefitting from the fraudulent charges. 

The sheriff's office said there were multiple texts between Jackson, Brown and two other people — 33-year-old Kanisha Altidor (right) and 20-year-old Janorris Johnson (left). All four of them were benefitting from the fraudulent charges. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

Detectives said the group made multiple fraudulent purchases at Adventure Island, T-Mobile, an online shoe retailer and created a Spectrum (Charter Communications) account for a residence with the stolen information. The total loss was approximately $14,000 after Jackson stole stole $4,000 in cash from an elderly victim.

On Thursday, Feb. 23, were taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail. Charges include fraudulent use of a credit card, exploitation of the elderly, scheme to defraud, grand theft and more.

Full Article & Source:
Nursing home employees arrested in large-scale fraud scheme involving the elderly: Sheriff

Bond set at $100K for 2 Texas City nursing home employees caught on camera abusing 87-year-old resident, police say

Lisa Jo Cooper, 61, and Kecia Danielle Johnson, 57, were each charged with injury to an elderly person, with bonds set at $100,000. (KPRC)

TEXAS CITY, Texas – Charges have been filed against two nursing home employees who were caught on camera beating and dragging an 87-year-old resident, according to officials with the Texas City Police Department.

Lisa Jo Cooper, 61, and Kecia Danielle Johnson, 57, both turned themselves in Thursday and booked into the Galveston County Jail. They were each charged with injury to an elderly person, with bonds set at $100,000.

On Oct. 2, Texas City police received a complaint about an elderly male being assaulted by two caregivers at a local nursing home in the 1700 block of 25th Street North.

Here's what we know

Video appears to show Cooper and Johnson, who were both employees of Solidago Health and Rehabilitation, dragging Cornelio Salinas across the floor, hitting and kicking him, and then tossing him on the bed.

His family said facility staff told them he fell and had to go to the hospital.

“You never think it’s going to happen to one of your family members,” his grandson, Lizandro Solis, said. “It’s sad.”

The family installed the camera after Salinas complained of staff members mistreating him.

“That’s no way to treat nobody, especially an elderly person with one leg. What is he going to do to you? How can he hurt you?” Solis said.

Salinas was transported to the hospital with bruised eyes and had to wear a neck brace.

After the video surfaced and went viral, the nursing home released a statement, which read:

“The health and safety of our residents remain our first priority. Our thoughts are with the resident and the family. Solidago Health and Rehabilitation enforces strict policies prohibiting patient abuse. Prompt action has been taken to ensure our residents are safe. Any violations of the abuse policy are reported to the appropriate agencies and legal authorities and the facility works closely with those agencies.”

According to Texas Health and Human Services Commission records, inspectors found 11 violations of state standards at Solidago during the most recent check-in in July 2021.

Among the violations are allegations that the facility “failed to provide residents with care and services related to activities of daily living” and “failed to attain or maintain the highest practicable, physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.”

State records show the nursing home was fined $19,800.

“HHSC is aware of the allegations involving this nursing facility and we are actively investigating to determine compliance with all relevant health and safety rules,” a spokesperson for the HHSC wrote in a statement to KPRC 2.

Salinas is expected to recover, but in the meantime, his family has a message for others with elderly relatives.

“Keep an eye on them. Put a camera on them. You never know when it can happen to y’all,” Solis said.

According to the Houston-Galveston Area Council, elder abuse is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country. Signs could include trouble sleeping, confusion or depression, or unexplained bruises, burns or scars.

If you suspect elder abuse, you can report it to the Texas Department of Family Services at 1-800-252-5400.

Full Article & Source:
Bond set at $100K for 2 Texas City nursing home employees caught on camera abusing 87-year-old resident, police say

Cook County Public Guardian Wants To Know Why Kim Foxx Has Not Brought Charges In Case Of Swindled Nursing Home Resident

by Dana Kozlov
CHICAGO (CBS) — Cook County’s public guardian says a 98-year-old woman was preyed upon by nursing home employees paid to take care of her.

He’s still fighting to get her life savings back, but almost a year later, many involved in her case also wonder why no criminal charges have been filed.

A civil case will return to court Wednesday, and attorneys say the evidence she was bilked of almost $1 million is strong.

But they say there’s been nothing from Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx when it comes to criminal charges, and they’re frustrated.

“She needs to get her money back, and she needs to know that the perpetrators have been charged criminally,” said Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert.

Golbert is in the midst of a 10-month battle on behalf of 98-year-old Grace Watanabe. He’s been fighting to get her $700,000 back from now ex-employees of Lincoln Park’s Symphony Residences and the facility itself since filing the civil lawsuit in September.

“This was a financial theft of large proportions,” says private attorney Steve Levin.

Levin has joined that fight. The lawsuit alleges six former Symphony employees forged checks and used other means to swindle Watanabe, who has dementia, out of her life savings.

Both Golbert and Levin say every person they’ve deposed has taken the Fifth Amendment, including Symphony Residences’ current executive director.

“Who’s investigating what happened if the executive director is taking the Fifth Amendment? Who’s investigating the facility’s point of view?” asked Levin.

Then there’s the criminal case. Golbert says he gave all of his evidence to a Chicago police financial crimes detective months ago.

“And he’s completed his investigation and waiting for the OK from the state’s attorney … to charge,” said Golbert.

Golbert even wrote Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx a detailed letter about Watanabe’s case on May 17.

All he’s gotten is silence from Foxx’s office.

“I’m very disappointed that I have heard nothing from the state’s attorney’s office about bringing these individuals who stole money from somebody with dementia to justice,” said Golbert.

The lack of criminal charges also concerns Chicago’s Japanese American community who have been closely following Watanabe’s case, attending court hearings and even visiting her at her new facility.

“I think it’s important for us to be visible on this,” said Bill Yoshino of the Japanese American Citzens League. “That’s one of the questions we have on our minds, is what, if anything, the state’s attorney’s office is going to do in this case.”

Spokespeople for both the state’s attorney and Chicago police say the investigation is ongoing, adding there is no hold up.

Symphony Residences issued the following statement:

“The safety and well-being of our residents is our utmost concern. Upon learning of the incident involving Ms. Wantanabe, we immediately notified law enforcement authorities to investigate and seek restitution for Ms. Watanabe, and we are cooperating with those agencies. We require our team members perform their duties with the highest standards and ethical integrity. The employees involved in this matter are no longer employed at this facility, and we have conducted extensive retraining for the remaining staff on compliance standards and company policies related to residents’ rights, procedures for suspected cases of theft, and rules on accepting gifts from residents and their families, which is strictly prohibited. We will continue to work with law enforcement, and we remain committed to ensuring safeguards are in place to prevent an incident like this from happening again.”

Full Article & Source:
Cook County Public Guardian Wants To Know Why Kim Foxx Has Not Brought Charges In Case Of Swindled Nursing Home Resident

Cook County Public Guardian Wants Charges In Case Of Swindled Nursing Home Resident

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Cook County Public Guard was in court Wednesday morning spelling out how current and former staffers of a senior citizens’ home pleaded the 5th when asked under oath about the theft of the bulk of a resident’s life savings.

Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert said 98-year old Grace Watanabe had more than $770,000 stolen from her when she lived in the Symphony Residences of Lincoln Park and that five former employees of Symphony had a similar answer when asked pointed questions about their roles in the alleged swindle.

"Questions like, when you took $100,000 from Mrs. Watanabe, did you know that she had advanced dementia? Answer. I cannot answer that question because the answer will incriminate me. 5th amendment," he said.



Public Guardian Charles Golbert said a Chicago Police financial crimes police detective laid out evidence for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office months ago, but so far, no charges.

Golbert wrote a letter to State's Attorney Kim Foxx in May saying he believes charges should be filed in the case.

Meanwhile, Golbert said it wasn’t just the former staffers answering deposition questions with the 5th amendment.

"We do not allege that the executive director stole any money herself, but we deposed her about what was going on there. We asked her questions such as, along the lines, 'were you aware that your employees were stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a 97-year-old resident with dementia?' Answer: 5th amendment. The answer will incriminate me," he said.

Golbert said he had Watanabe moved to a safe nursing home 10 months ago when the case was referred to him. He said she's 98-years old now, is doing well, and that, despite her dementia, has a broad understanding that most of her money was stolen from her.

Golbert said Watanabe spent time in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, eventually got a college degree and worked for the federal government.

He said dozens of members of Chicago's Japanese-American community have been closely following the case and have appeared at every single court date in support of Grace Watanabe.

Her last surviving relative, a brother, died in 2009.

Full Article & Source:
Cook County Public Guardian Wants Charges In Case Of Swindled Nursing Home Resident

Senior Citizen Allegedly Swindled Out Of More Than $600K By Nursing Home Employees

CHICAGO (CBS) — 97-year-old Grace Watanabe lived at Symphony Residences of Lincoln Park for eight years. She trusted the workers at her nursing home to help her, but her Public Guardian says some just helped themselves to her money.

Some of the staff members at the nursing home, named in a lawsuit, are accused of bilking Watanabe out of more than $600,000.

Cook County’s acting Public Guardian says he has never seen anything like this one before and is trying to fight to get her half a million dollars back, while Chicago Police investigate the incident.

“The people who were being paid to take care of her and protect her stole a vast bulk of her life savings,” said Cook County Public Guardian, Charles Golbert.

Acting Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert filed a lawsuit Thursday, hours after being appointed to Watanabe on an emergency basis.

The lawsuit states she has dementia and is unable to make financial decisions since at least 2016. Golbert says red flags went up earlier this year when her bank noticed large checks being written from her account.

“How large is large?” CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov questioned.

“Tens of thousands of dollars,” Golbert replied. One check was written for $40,000 and another one for $50,000, all written to Symphony employees or their children.

“I mean, it was rampant, from the receptionist and the hairdresser to activity directors to assistant activity directors to one of the directors and no one caught them for a period of a year,” said Golbert.

Symphony Residences did not want to comment on the lawsuit.

“Oh my goodness! There’s a lot of them,” stated an employee of Symphony, who is not named in the lawsuit, shocked by the allegations.

CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov tried finding CEO David Hartman at his home and went to an address connected to Symphony’s owner, Bernard Hollander. All that was found was an empty lot owned by the company near one of Symphony’s other facilities. In a statement, Symphony said all the employees suspected of involvement are no longer employed at the facility.

Ms. Watanabe moved to another nursing home facility. Police are investigating the incident.

Symphonies Residences of Lincoln Park issued a statement saying:

“Several months ago, Symphony Residences of Lincoln Park was shocked and saddened to learn that a beloved, longtime Resident was giving money to its employees, the receipt of which was a violation of company policy.  An investigation was immediately commenced.  We notified law enforcement and worked closely with the Ombudsman, Healthcare and Family Services, the Resident, and the Resident’s financial institution to gather all facts. The employees suspected of involvement are no longer employed at the facility and all staff were retrained in policies relating to receiving gifts from residents and their families. The dignity, safety and security of our residents is always our first priority. “

Full Article & Source:
Senior Citizen Allegedly Swindled Out Of More Than $600K By Nursing Home Employees

See Also:
Caregivers took $600K from woman, 97, once held in internment camp: legal filing