$4.9 Million Secured for Victims of Ayudando Guardians Fraud Scheme Through Settlement and Asset Forfeiture

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced today the recovery of $4.9 million for victims of the Ayudando Guardians fraud scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice has retained a third-party administrator to assist with disbursing the funds to victims of the decade-long embezzlement scheme that exploited vulnerable individuals under guardianship.

The U.S. Marshals Servicedemanded coverage from Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America (Travelers) under a "Wrap + Crime" policy for the losses sustained due to the criminal acts of Ayudando employees. Travelers Insurance denied coverage under the policy, so on March 31, 2022, the United States filed a civil action against Travelers in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (“Civil Action”). The United States pursued claims against Travelers for coverage under the policy, bad faith, and violation of the New Mexico Unfair Insurance Practices Act and the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act, alleging that Travelers' denial of the United States' claim was unfounded and frivolous, and that Travelers misrepresented the coverage afforded.

On September 20, 2024, the parties participated in a settlement conference before the Honorable Gregory J. Fouratt, resulting in a settlement of the Civil Action. Travelers has agreed to pay the United States the amount of $4.9 million.

On July 17, 2025, the U.S. District Court entered a final order of forfeiture in the related criminal case, awarding $4.9 million in funds obtained through the settlement with Travelers. The recovered funds satisfy a portion of the $6.8 million money judgment against Harris.

In relation to the original criminal case, Harris, the former president and 95% owner of Ayudando, was sentenced to 47 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Her husband, William S. Harris, who worked as a guardian, received a 15-year prison sentence, also followed by three years of supervised release. Sharon A. Moore, former chief financial officer and 5% owner, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Craig M. Young, Susan Harris' son, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the criminal investigation with the assistance of the Complex Assets Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The original criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña. The Civil Action and settlement were led by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Keegan and Jesse Hale, with assistance from Clifford Krieger, forfeiture counsel for the U.S. Marshals Service and several attorneys from the Social Security Administration. The asset forfeiture proceedings were overseen by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kotz. 

Updated July 17, 2025 

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$4.9 Million Secured for Victims of Ayudando Guardians Fraud Scheme Through Settlement and Asset Forfeiture 

Man charged with elder abuse at Lake County group home

by Greg Fox

 

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — The director of a group home in Umatilla, Lake County, has been arrested and charged with felony battery on a person 65 years old or older.

He has been released on $10,000 bond, pending trial. An arraignment for Pedro Custodio has been set for the first week in August.

Custodio, who has for years been known around Lake County as "Pastor Pete,” was arrested July 12. A Judge has ordered him to have no contact with two group home residents who contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, alleging abuse.

A 77-year-old woman, who did not want to be identified or interviewed on camera, spoke with WESH 2 News outside the home Friday.

She did not want to discuss Custodio’s arrest. But she and her roommate provided details to the sheriff's office that ultimately led to Custodio’s arrest.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Stephanie Earley told WESH 2 News, “She (the alleged victim) said that while she was having a conversation with Mr. Custodio, he became upset with her for speaking excessively to which then he grabbed her and pushed her down, causing her to fall.”

According to the arrest affidavit, the alleged victim's "left thigh" had a large "bruise." The women then recalled another "recent incident" in which "Custodio pushed the alleged victim, striking her and choking her with his hands."

What allegedly happened at the home is not the first time Custodio has been in trouble with law enforcement in Lake County.

In 2022, he was arrested for throwing a deadly object, a boxcutter, at a man through a car window. He was found guilty and given probation. In 2020, he was charged with battery on a disabled adult, but the state declined to prosecute. And in 2014, Custodio was charged with two counts of sexual battery.

In that case, Eustis police said Custodio allegedly attacked women inside a homeless shelter called "Our Father's House of Refuge Ministries." That case went to trial, but a jury acquitted him.

The sheriff's office wants anyone with information about Custodio's actions to come forward.

And they urge loved ones of seniors in group care to monitor their health and welfare.

“Make sure to visit them often. Make sure to communicate with them and communicate with the staff, and monitor the care they're providing," Earley said.

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Man charged with elder abuse at Lake County group home 

Ray County husband and wife accused of stealing millions from elderly couple

by Matt Flener

RAY COUNTY, Mo. —  Prosecutors have charged a Ray County couple with multiple felony counts in connection with a multi-million-dollar elderly fraud scheme.

Trenton and Kirsten Hansuld are facing decades in prison for allegedly stealing more than $3.2 million in money and land from an elderly couple they knew, according to court documents filed Monday in Ray County.

Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston brought charges after an investigation by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Special Investigations.

Court documents say state investigators received a fraud alert from Bank Midwest in June 2024 warning about possible financial exploitation.

Investigators say Trenton Hansuld added himself to one victim’s account at Bank Midwest and has taken more than $800,000 since November 2022, including $5,000 in monthly payments.

Prosecutors also say Trenton Hansuld went to the courthouse and changed the deed for the elderly couple’s home and farmland into his name.

The Hansulds owned the TKH Exotic Pet Shop in Lexington.

Prosecutors say they used some of the money for the business and their personal accounts.

Johnston said now that the Hansulds are charged, investigators will continue to look for the money.

“If the bank hadn't caught it, they would still be probably doing this,” Johnston said.

The Hansulds are currently in the Ray County Jail on $250,000 cash bonds after an arraignment on Tuesday morning. 

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Ray County husband and wife accused of stealing millions from elderly couple 

Ray County husband and wife accused of stealing millions from elderly couple

Prosecutors have charged a Ray County couple with multiple felony counts in connection with a multi-million-dollar elderly fraud scheme. Trenton and Kirsten Hansuld are facing decades in prison for allegedly stealing more than $3.2 million in money and land from an elderly couple they knew, according to court documents filed Monday in Ray County. 

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Ray County husband and wife accused of stealing millions from elderly couple

Missouri coin store owner charged with conning elderly man out of thousands of dollars

The owner of a Missouri coin store could face prison time after he allegedly exploited thousands of dollars from an elderly man.

By Sarah Motter

BURLINGTON JUNCTION, Mo. (KCTV) - The owner of a Missouri coin store could face prison time after he allegedly exploited thousands of dollars from an elderly man.

Nodaway County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Monday, July 14, indicate that Gerald R. Galyan, 49, of Burlington Junction, has been charged in connection with the crime.

A probable cause statement filed by the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office revealed that on June 17, 2024, investigators were contacted about a possible theft. The elderly victim’s nephew reported that several discrepancies had been found in his uncle’s bank account.

Law enforcement officials noted that in total, more than $26,000 had been stolen from the victim’s bank account. The investigation led the Sheriff’s Office to Galyan, the owner of T and J Coins N’ More. 

During an interview with investigators, they said Galyan claimed the victim had paid him the missing money for services he had provided since the victim’s wife had passed away. He then claimed the victim had been a partner in his gold and silver business.

However, the victim told law enforcement officials he never intended to be partners with Galyan. 

The Sheriff’s Office said a search of Galyan’s home and business revealed receipts for the transactions as well as $35,000 in counterfeit cash and counterfeit items.

Court documents noted that Galyan was charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person, stealing $750 or more, counterfeiting and fraudulent use of a credit or debit device on July 14. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to 33 years in prison.

A warrant was issued for Galyan’s arrest on Monday with the condition of a $30,000 bond. As of Monday evening, he does not appear to have been arrested on these charges. No further information has been released. 

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Missouri coin store owner charged with conning elderly man out of thousands of dollars 

Elder Abuse Awareness - Joan's Story

It’s a group that should be one of the most protected in our society, but they are often among the most preyed upon. So we're sharing some tips and warnings for you, as we work to prosecute predators to the fullest who target senior citizens. That victimization ranges from physically and financially abusing seniors, including an array of monetary scams, such as romance schemes, and those trusted with bank information who take advantage of that trust. 

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Elder Abuse Awareness - Joan's Story

Former nursing home employee accused of financial exploitation of resident

by Steve Smith

A former employee at a Lamar, Missouri nursing home is accused of stealing from a resident of the facility.

39-year-old Ashley Gastel is charged with the financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person.

Gastel obtained the man’s credit card during the time she worked as Activities Director at Truman Health and Rehabilitation Center.

She used the card to pay for multiple purchases at Walmart and on Amazon.

Gastel is not under arrest but is scheduled to appear in court in Lamar on August 5th. 

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Former nursing home employee accused of financial exploitation of resident

Brookdale to implement reforms, pay $1.9 million in attorney’s fees to settle staffing algorithm lawsuit

By Kimberly Bonvissuto

Brookdale Senior Living will be required to adopt corporate governance reforms and pay $1.9 million in attorneys’ fees and expenses under the terms of a settlement to a lawsuit over the company’s staffing algorithm.

Judge Aleta A. Trauger of the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee approved the settlement, filing her order and final judgment July 9. 

A Brookdale spokesperson told McKnight’s Senior Living that the company was “pleased with the settlement.” 

“Resolving this matter allows Brookdale to further focus on providing quality care and services to its residents,” the spokesperson said.

Patricia Templin, a Brookdale shareholder, had filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that current and former Brookdale board members and executive officers breached their fiduciary duties by relying on a staffing algorithm to determine community staffing levels at the corporate level, which she said led to chronic understaffing at individual communities.

This so-called “intentional understaffing,” the lawsuit asserted, led to communities breaching their residency agreements, causing residents harm by misrepresenting the levels of care advertised, promised and provided to residents. In addition, the suit alleged that executives were paid “excessive and unwarranted” compensation, bonuses and termination payments and were “unjustly enriched.”

Brookdale denied the claims contained in the lawsuit, saying the company board members and executives acted “in good faith” and in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.  The company said in court documents that it agreed to the settlement to eliminate the “uncertainty, distraction, disruption, burden and expense” of further litigation. Both sides said the settlement is in the best interests of Brookdale and its shareholders.

Court documents did not specify the reforms that Brookdale will make.

Another case on hold

An appeal in another staffing algorithm case involving Brookdale, from 2020, was paused late last month after a tentative settlement was announced in the Templin case. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from shareholder Brian Davis and Brookdale to put those proceedings on ice while the Templin case played out. 

Davis alleged misconduct by company executives trying to meet financial targets and said those actions were causing the company to intentionally underestimate data used for staffing algorithms.

A federal judge had ruled in January 2024 that the lawsuit could not move forward because the investors had not approached the board before filing it, and the judge had said that the the plaintiffs failed to show that going to the board would have been futile because of material benefits to the Brookdale directors in a proxy statement at the center of the lawsuit’s claims.

The plaintiffs appealed in February 2024, but both sides in the Davis case indicated that they anticipated filing motions to dismiss the appeal as moot if the Templin settlement was approved. 

Other criticism, lawsuits targeted staffing

Brookdale has faced other criticism and legal action in recent years based on allegations related to service quality and company representation of services to the public.

In spring 2024, The Washington Post delved into a staffing algorithm used by the company, alleging that the system underestimated the number of staff members needed to meet residents’ needs. The article was part of the Post’s Memory Inc. series, begun in December 2023 with a focus on elopements in assisted living.

Brookdale said it disagreed with the characterization of the program in the Post story, saying that the company had created the staffing algorithm “as a way to identify best practices to meet the needs of residents” and that it did not dictate staffing maximums or determine care costs.

The April 2024 Washington Post article came after the company faced a lawsuit related to staffing levels. In 2023, a federal judge denied class action certification for some claims in a 2017 California staffing lawsuit, Stiner vs. Brookdale Senior Living,  because the plaintiffs could not show that the communities were similarly staffed, according to The Post.

But last summer a federal judge granted a motion to certify three community-based subclasses in the 2017 case, in which current and former residents of Brookdale’s California assisted living communities sued the company, alleging elder financial abuse and widespread violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint alleged that understaffing prevented residents’ activities of daily living needs from being met.   

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Brookdale to implement reforms, pay $1.9 million in attorney’s fees to settle staffing algorithm lawsuit 

Scams are getting smarter — is your facility ready?

by John O'Connor

There’s a new kind of threat targeting your residents. 

It won’t show up on vitals, carry an infection risk or trip wandering alarms. But it can wipe out life savings and destroy trust. If left unaddressed, it can also put your facility at risk for financial, reputational and regulatory consequences.

The US Senate Special Committee on Aging’s 2025 fraud report, “Age of Fraud: Scams Facing Our Nation’s Seniors,” paints a troubling picture. Older Americans lost $4.8 billion to scams in 2024, up from $3.4 billion the year before.

What’s behind this surge? A powerful new accomplice: artificial intelligence. Scammers are cloning voices, creating fake videos, and impersonating relatives or officials with unnerving realism.

The FBI reported $16.6 billion in cybercrime losses last year, a 33% jump. Cryptocurrency scams targeting older adults accounted for nearly $3 billion. Peer-to-peer payment fraud — via apps like Zelle, Venmo and CashApp — added another $391 million.

This isn’t just a consumer protection issue. When a scam targets someone in your care, it becomes your operational problem. If a resident’s funds are drained, rent and care payments may stop. If a cognitively impaired resident believes they’re in danger, that anxiety becomes a care disruption. And when a scam goes undetected, tough questions can follow — from families, ombudsmen and regulators.

So, what’s an operator to do?

Start by treating scam prevention as part of your resident safety strategy. Train frontline staff to recognize red flags: urgent requests, secrecy, odd financial behavior, or shifts in mood or trust. If they can spot fall risks, they can learn this too.

Also, keep families in the loop. Yes, they’re busy — but they need to be informed about current scams, especially AI-driven ones.

And don’t forget to review your policies. Does your abuse prevention or incident reporting protocol mention financial exploitation? Do staff know when and how to escalate concerns? If not, now’s the time to update.

This threat isn’t going away. AI, cryptocurrency and social media are making scams more common and harder to detect.

Scammers are evolving. Skilled nursing providers must do the same. Preventing a mess is almost always easier than cleaning one up. 

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Scams are getting smarter — is your facility ready?