Sullivan County elected official accused of stealing thousands from disabled person

by John Garlock

Sullivan County Public Administrator Joan Brummitt, of Milan, Missouri, faces eight felony charges. (Photo: Missouri Association of Public Administrators)

MILAN, Mo. — A northeast Missouri elected official, who is entrusted to handle the financial affairs of those who aren't able to do it themselves, is accused of breaking that trust.

Sullivan County Public Administrator Joan Brummitt, 65, of Milan, is facing eight felony charges, accused of stealing $5,878.99 from a partially disabled person, whose finances she helped manage.

Brummitt is charged with four counts of stealing $750 or more and four counts of financial exploitation of a disabled person.

According to court documents, in October 2022, Brummitt was appointed as a limited conservator for the victim in this case.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says in court documents that four separate times last month, Brummitt used her personal cell phone and online banking app at her home in Milan to conduct cash transfers from the victim's bank account into her own bank account, without the victim's consent.

Sullivan County Associate Circuit Judge Adam Warren has recused himself from Brummitt’s case and asked the circuit judge to assign a new judge to the case. 

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Sullivan County elected official accused of stealing thousands from disabled person 

State report: Dementia patient left in freezer '20 to 30' minutes after employee found him there alive

By: Adam Walser

TRINITY, Fla. — A new state inspection report reveals that the Waverly Assisted Living Facility in Trinity "failed to provide adequate personal supervision and oversight" on the night a dementia patient wandered into a walk-in freezer and later died of hypothermia.

William Eugene Ray, who had dementia, got out of bed and left his room just after 12:30 a.m. on September 26.

Watch report from Adam Walser 

His family had installed a Ring camera in his room due to staffing concerns at the facility.

Ray's daughter Kristen Spencer woke up to discover her father was missing from his room.

“I couldn’t even believe the words I was hearing”

She called the facility to notify staff, then drove there with her mother.

They were placed in a conference room while staff searched for Ray.

"The director came in and said they found him. And then she said he was in the freezer," Spencer said. "I couldn't even believe the words that I was hearing."

The 54-page report from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) offers explanations of what happened that night.

Attorney Stephen Barnes, who represents Ray's family, said the state conducted a thorough investigation.

"The state did its due diligence. They not only talked to the administration. They talked to employees, they talked to staff, they talked to residents and got the complete picture," Barnes said.

Report says one employee was scheduled to care for 48 residents

The report reveals that only one staff member was scheduled to work that night in the assisted living side, which had 48 residents.

The report says two people were assigned to the memory care section of the facility. 

According to the report, an employee told investigators they had complained to the administrator days before the incident, saying, "We are always short-staffed. We don't take breaks and there are no breaks at night."

The report indicates video from the facility showed Ray wandered around unnoticed for hours, "entering and exiting the kitchen area and the kitchen's cooler multiple times”.

"How could this happen? Basic safety measures were not in place to secure the kitchen," Spencer said.

The report says a cook told investigators, "There was no way to lock the double doors leading to the kitchen, and the key to the fridge was missing, so the door could not be locked."

The Cook said a previous complaint was made to the administrator.

"I was concerned someone would come in and turn the stove on and start a fire,” the cook told investigators, according to the report.

"The kitchen staff told the facility. We can't lock the kitchen doors. We can't lock the freezer. And sounded like it happened more than once that they were asking for this to be taken care of. That simple remedy stops this from ever happening," Barnes said.

Report: Ray was left in freezer for “20 to 30 minutes” after he was found by employee

Ray was last seen on video at 4:30 a.m.

He was found inside the freezer at 8:10 a.m., lying on his side and shivering.

The report says he responded to commands by nodding, even though he could not speak.

The staff member who found Ray didn't move him, claiming it was against facility policy, and instead waited "20 to 30 minutes" for rescue workers to arrive.

"The family's devastated to learn that the patriarch of that family was left in a freezer after he was discovered still alive until the emergency personnel got there, and the excuse was that's the way we were trained," Barnes said.

Ray was taken to Trinity Medical Center, which is just a few hundred yards from the facility, but by the time he arrived, it was too late.

Spencer said she was told by medical staff that Ray’s core body temperature was 66 degrees when he arrived.

According to a report from the Pasco County Medical Examiner, the preliminary cause of death was hypothermia.

Barnes says he hopes the facility will learn from the tragedy, so others’ safety is not put at risk.

"Do your job. You know, if you're gonna take these residents in and you're gonna tell a family that you're gonna take care of them, do your job," Barnes said.

The Waverly did not respond by our deadline to requests for comment about the state report.

To check out nursing home inspection records:

https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/report-guides/nursing-homesfl

To check out assisted living facilities in Florida:

https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-quality-assurance/inspection-reports-for-health-care-providers

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State report: Dementia patient left in freezer '20 to 30' minutes after employee found him there alive 

Grandparents to C-Suite: Elder Fraud Reveals Gaps in Human-Centered Cybersecurity

Cybercriminals are weaponizing AI voice cloning and publicly available data to craft social engineering scams that emotionally manipulate senior citizens—and drain billions from their savings.

by Joan Goodchild

A retiree answers the phone one afternoon and hears what sounds unmistakably like her grandson's voice. He says he's been in an accident and needs money right away. The caller knows her name, her town, and details about the family. Panicked, she sends the funds — only later learning that the voice was generated by artificial intelligence and the personal information came from publicly available data online.

Such scenarios have become increasingly common. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2024 Internet Crime Report, Americans over the age of 60 lost nearly $4.9 billion to cybercrime last year, a 43% increase from 2023. And recent analysis by privacy firm Incogni found that in 72% of these elder fraud cases, attackers relied on personal data available online — addresses, relatives' names, phone numbers, even job history — to tailor their scams.

"Fraudsters don't need to hack anyone when the Internet hands them a dossier," says Chris Olson, founder and CEO of digital safety company Proxyware. "They can sound authentic, look authentic, and automate the next attack within minutes."

Olson notes that the same digital profiling systems built to personalize ads and recommend content now give cybercriminals the same precision marketers enjoy. By exploiting the vast data trails people leave online, attackers can craft scams that feel personal, timely, and credible—especially for older adults whose information is widely available through data brokers and "people search" sites. "The same behavioral profiling that serves ads also guides criminals," he says. 

According to Incogni's analysis of FBI data, investment scams topped the losses in 2024—more than $1.8 billion in total, averaging nearly $194,000 per complaint—but phishing and spoofing grew fastest, surging 700% year over year. In Texas, Georgia, and California—the states with the highest losses per victim—seniors lost an average of more than $46,000 per incident. Experts say the real toll is likely higher, since many victims never report crimes out of fear or shame.

AI Supercharges the Elder Fraud Con

The generative-AI boom has made impersonation scams almost frictionless. Voices cloned from a few seconds of audio can now plead for help in a loved one's tone. Photos and social-media snippets feed large language models that compose believable messages in seconds. 

Olson says the underlying problem is the surveillance economy itself. When an algorithm knows you're a 75-year-old widow who likes gardening, it's easy to craft a lure that feels personal.

To understand the pervasiveness of these lures, Proxyware conducted a pilot program in nine senior communities in Virginia last year. By deploying decoy "personas" that mimicked the residents' typical online activities, the system recorded nearly 16 million attack attempts over a 12-month period. When the decoy identity appeared to be a senior citizen, roughly 1.5% of all webpages rendered included some form of scam or malicious code—double the baseline for other personas.

"It's like shooting fish in a barrel," Olson said. "The moment the Internet recognizes a user as an older adult, the attack rate spikes."

The pilot was conducted in collaboration with LeadingAge Virginia, a nonprofit organization representing aging services providers across the state. Its president and CEO, Melissa Andrews, says digital safety has become inseparable from overall well-being.

"Residents depend on technology for everything—from connecting with family to managing health records and finances," says Andrews. "But that same reliance opens doors for exploitation. We see phishing, fake tech-support calls, romance scams, and even AI-generated impersonations. Some residents are embarrassed to report what happened, which only increases the damage."

Education Isn't Enough; Policy is Needed 

LeadingAge's members now incorporate cyber awareness into their wellness programming, offering regular workshops, open discussions with families, and “gentle vigilance" that encourages seniors to ask for help without fear of stigma. Still, Andrews admits education alone can't keep up with automated deception. 

"Even our most tech-savvy staff sometimes struggle to tell what's real," she says.

That mirrors a broader problem in cybersecurity, Olson argued. 

"Traditional defenses protect machines and networks. They don't protect people," he says. "The industry's blind spot is social engineering—the human layer where most modern fraud begins."

Lawmakers are starting to pay attention. A bipartisan Financial Exploitation Prevention Act would grant financial institutions greater authority to delay suspicious transactions and require the Securities and Exchange Commission to study ways to curb financial exploitation targeting the elderly. The bill, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March, remains in the Committee on Financial Services, and there is no indication of when it will be considered. The bill was introduced after years of escalating losses. A recent AARP study estimated that older Americans lose $28.3 billion annually to financial exploitation—most often at the hands of someone they know. However, according to Olson, that balance has shifted significantly: five years ago, roughly 80% of elder fraud began with caregivers or family members; today, he says, about 80% originates online.

What Security Practitioners Can Learn

For security professionals, experts say, the elder-fraud epidemic exposes the limits of conventional perimeter defense. Every deepfake plea or personalized phishing lure is also a proof of concept for corporate compromise. 

"Employees of corporations are targeted just like grandmothers," Olson says. He notes that the same digital-targeting ecosystem used to deceive individuals can also breach enterprises when it triggers the right emotional response.

Jonelle Gardiner, a certified fraud examiner who works with financial institutions, says she has begun teaching her own parents to pause before reacting to urgent digital requests. 

"Scammers rely on panic and emergency situations, because even the best of us can be flustered hearing our child has been arrested or kidnapped," she says. "All logic is lost. In short, pause and think — those short five seconds can be the difference between keeping or losing access to your pension."

Protecting seniors—and everyone else—will require a combination of stronger privacy regulations, improved consumer education, and industry-wide cooperation to dismantle criminal infrastructure more effectively.

"We have to look at this as protecting people," Olson said. "It's not just about fixing the Internet—it's about preventing harm before it happens." 

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Grandparents to C-Suite: Elder Fraud Reveals Gaps in Human-Centered Cybersecurity 

Woman arrested in elder financial abuse case in Mansfield: Troopers

It was calculated that she spent $77,000 just in 2023 and 2024 with her roommate's credit cards, but the family believes that, in total, she spent over $100,000. 

Author: Leah Myers

MANSFIELD, Conn — A woman is accused of spending thousands of dollars with several credit cards that belonged to her roommate, who is in his 90s, over the past few years.

State police arrested Lisa Perreault, 66, on Monday; she is facing larceny charges.

Troopers started investigating in December 2024 after someone reported a possible case of elder financial abuse in Mansfield.

The investigation found that Perreault had fully moved into a room in the now-96-year-old victim's home around January 2018, and the victim asked her to move out in December 2024.

It was calculated that Perreault spent over $77,000 on unauthorized purchases in 2023 and 2024. While the family and investigators were still calculating spending for 2022, the family of the victim believes that Perreault spent a total of $100,000 on unauthorized purchases on multiple credit cards, including an "ungodly amount of clothes and shoes" from Amazon, nursing license education expenses, $10,000 worth of fabric, a gym membership, insurance, phone bills, vehicle maintenance and gas, and restaurants.

The victim told investigators that he noticed around three or four years ago that more money was coming out than going in, and that more packages would arrive at the house. The victim told investigators that he told Perreault multiple times to stop spending so much money. 

The victim was not sure how purchases were being made since at least one of the physical cards was almost always in his possession, but still had large account statements. Investigators found in Perreault's phone that she was keeping track of the information of 21 credit cards in the victim's name to benefit herself, according to the arrest warrant.

When police visited the home in late December 2024 and spoke with Perreault, she said she was not in a living situation she wanted to be in. When police asked about using the victim's credit cards, Perreault said, "That was all acceptable to him...he let me borrow things. But that was it, and I didn't do anything that he didn't allow me to do."

Investigators also found evidence that the victim's Will was changed, arranging that Perreault would inherit the house, and that she had plans to remodel the house, according to the arrest warrant.

There was an original agreement that Perreault would pay rent to the victim, but the arrest warrant states that she convinced the victim not to charge her rent.

A background check also found that Perreault was evicted from her Tolland home in September 2017, and had been staying with someone known to the victim before they introduced Perreault to the victim and suggested she move in.

Perreault was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18. 

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Woman arrested in elder financial abuse case in Mansfield: Troopers 

Man Arrested After Assaulting Mother In Canyon Country

A Canyon Country man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted his mother.

On Tuesday, deputies responded to the 19800 block of Northcliff Drive in Canyon Country regarding an elder abuse call, said Deputy Mariela Picard, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“Deputies contacted the 67-year-old victim, who reported being pushed into a refrigerator during a verbal argument with her adult son, resulting in injury,” Picard said. “The victim also alleged a previous unreported physical altercation and potential theft of personal items.”

When deputies arrived on scene, the suspect fled the location.

Deputies later returned to the location when the suspect was confirmed to be home.

Brandon Brassard, 35, from Canyon Country, was arrested for felony elder abuse, according to Picard.

Brassard was booked into the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station jail without bail. 

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Man Arrested After Assaulting Mother In Canyon Country 

Philly caregiver accused of stealing $5K from 3 clients in Montco

By Briana Smith

AMBLER, Pa. (WPVI) -- Montgomery Township police are looking for 36-year-old Kavena Stover of Philadelphia, who was charged with financial exploitation of an older adult and other related charges.

Detectives say she allegedly stole $5,000 from three victims while working as a caregiver in Montgomery County.

"I gave her the key," said 95-year-old David Porinchak of Ambler, Pa. "I gave her the combination to the garage. In terms of trust, there was no reason not to trust her."

Porinchak says he depended on Stover as a caregiver last year.

Porinchak says she assisted him with physical therapy, drove him to doctors' appointments, and maintained his home in Ambler.

"At 94, it was important to have somebody here," said Porinchak.

But Porinchak says that suddenly, Stover stopped showing up. Months later, police notified Porinchak about her charges.

"Very, very disappointed," said Porinchak. "To do that not only for me, but for others to take advantage of elderly people."

Detective Todd Walter says Stover allegedly committed the crimes while working for two home care agencies in Lower Merion from September 2024 through January 2025.

The other two victims are 66 years old and 88 years old. 

"They put their money away for their golden years, and now someone is coming and taking it from them," said Detective Walter. "I find that troubling."

Detective Walter says Stover allegedly used their credit cards to pay rent at a Philadelphia property, for car rentals and insurance, groceries and tickets at Thrillz in King of Prussia.

"She's the one who is supposed to be a trusted person, going into these people's houses and taking care of them, and she's exploiting them," said Detective Walter.

Detective Walter advises loved ones to monitor their elderly family members' finances and verify who enters their home. He also provided tips to the agencies on how to vet applicants before hiring.

As Porinchak prepares to celebrate his 96th birthday on Friday, he says honesty is the best policy, and he would like to sit down with Stover.

"Try to get her reasons for this," said Porinchak. "Why she would act like this, and what could be done somehow to make restitution, perhaps?"

Stover responded by phone, saying she did not commit any of these crimes and has no further comment.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact police at 215-362-2301. 

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Philly caregiver accused of stealing $5K from 3 clients in Montco

Expert offers tips for families to avoid problems with home health aides

by Brittany Johnson

 ARLINGTON, Mass. — A senior citizen spent his final years under the control of his home health aide, lost more than a million dollars in the process, and now a fraud expert shares how you can try and protect your loved ones from the same kind of elder fraud.

5 Investigates first reported on Dr. Louis Braida, who was a world-renowned MIT professor until, by 2019, age and three strokes took their toll and he began to need help with his daily living.

That's when Fatumata Jaitha stepped in and became his home health aid. Before long, Braida gave Jaitha his power of attorney and she controlled his care, communication, and cash.

That, according to Alice Diamond, a volunteer with AARP's Fraud Watch Network, should have been a huge red flag.

"I cannot imagine the circumstances under which a caregiver should ever be given power of attorney for the person that they're taking care of," Diamond said.

Diamond said there are simple steps families can take to try and help prevent exploitation by home health aides.

"Go to a bonded licensed agency," Diamond said. "Once you've hired the person, monitor what they're doing, stop in regularly. Have a doorbell camera so you see what time they're coming and going. Keep all financial information away from them."

The warning signs often start small, she said, such as when a home health aid starts working independently or gets too close personally.

"As soon as the person starts freelancing on their own, that's a major red flag because as soon as the connection with the company they work for is gone, so is any legal protection or resources that the company had," she said.

The state's Executive Office of Aging and Independence tracks elder abuse complaints, and they're rising.

Last year, the state investigated 36,662 reports of abuse.

"We need to get people to be aware of the resources that are available," Diamond said.

But Braida's sister, Mary Massey, expressed anger at just those resources. She spoke out to 5 Investigates out of frustration that her efforts to get authorities to intervene were unsuccessful. She first complained to Arlington police and Minuteman Senior Services in late 2019, and made other calls in 2020, but it wasn't until 2022 that authorities stepped in to freeze his assets and begin investigating Jaitha's role.

Arlington police said they referred Braida to numerous agencies for help.

Kelly Magee Wright, executive director of Minuteman Senior Services, said she could not comment on any particular case but told 5 Investigates that agencies like hers operate under multiple laws and regulations that govern seniors’ right to self-determination, consent and what she called “decisional capacity.”

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence said the agency also could not comment on any specific case but said education and early detection were key to preventing financial exploitation.

"That’s why Massachusetts continues to expand its work with financial institutions, community organizations, and the public to raise awareness about financial exploitation and how to report it. The state has strengthened training for workers in financial institutions and enhanced reporting systems so that concerns can be identified and acted upon more quickly,” Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson said in a statement.

As part of a lawsuit filed by Massey, Jaitha admitted to having a sexual relationship with Braida, taking $1.4-million from him, which included a $300,000 annual salary, and admitted she "improperly exercised undue influence and control over Dr. Braida for personal gain."

Jaitha settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Braida's family $500,000.

Braida died in September 2022. He was still in Jaitha's care at the time of his death.

---

The state Executive Office of Aging & Independence, or AGE, provided the following information about agencies providing home care and support services:

• Certified home health care agencies, which provide nursing, skilled therapies, and home health aide services, are regulated by the state Department of Public Health
• Home Care agencies (which do not provide skilled health services, but focus on other in-home supports such as meal preparation, personal care assistance, and companionship for people with cognitive impairments) provide services to support AGE’s Home Care consumers and are verified through the AGE review process
• Agencies that do not provide services to AGE consumers are not necessarily licensed or certified
• A home health aide is paid, and a family caregiver is unpaid.
• Learn more about family caregivers here

The state Executive Office of Aging & Independence investigates cases of potential abuse where the individual is 60 or older and lives in Mass. and in the community as opposed to a long-term care setting. Information about how to contact protective services can be found here. Reports can be filed online or by calling (800) 922-2275.

The Office of Aging & Independence has also issued guidance for how to prevent elder abuse, including tips for avoiding scams and how to keep yourself or a loved one from being vulnerable to abuse. 

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Expert offers tips for families to avoid problems with home health aides 

Major Guardianship Reform in Pennsylvania Strengthens Due Process and Oversight

Written by:  Offit Kurman

The law governing guardianship in Pennsylvania has recently seen its most meaningful update in years, truly emphasizing less-restrictive options and ensuring due process protections for adult individuals who may need guardianship over their person and financial affairs. The court may only act after clear and convincing evidence of incapacity and need, and if the person has not retained counsel, the court must appoint an attorney for the initial adjudication and any later proceeding, to modify or terminate the guardianship. Counsel’s role is client-directed advocacy (expressed wishes). Counsel must meet the client promptly and file a short certification of that meeting and counsel may not serve as guardian ad litem.

The General Assembly also codified a robust “least-restrictive alternative” test. A finding of incapacity alone does not justify a transfer of rights; the court must make on-the-record determinations that less-restrictive supports (e.g., supported decision-making, POA authority, representative payee, targeted services) will not suffice. In practice, your petition should document what was tried, by whom, when, and why it failed; otherwise limited relief (or no relief) is likely.

A major structural change is the automatic review hearing. If the evidence at the initial hearing indicates the person’s circumstances may change, the court must set a review date in the order and hold that review within one year; any interested person may also petition later to modify or terminate.

The statute now requires certification for high-volume individual appointees: before accepting a third active appointment, the individual must be certified (with the Supreme Court to prescribe rules, renewals, and proof), and courts may consider waiver requests for equivalent credentials.

Procedurally, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s December 18, 2024, amendments modernized forms and aligned practice with the statute. The practitioner will want to pull the newest packets before filing and calendar post-appointment reporting through the statewide Guardianship Tracking System (GTS).

Finally, remember that Pennsylvania policy favors tailored relief, and the court will seek the least restrictive means when evaluating an alleged incapacitated individual. Propose narrowly drawn powers, preserve rights wherever possible, and build a record showing why specific alternatives won’t meet the person’s needs. Courts and court resources now expressly highlight Supported Decision-Making as part of that analysis, so address it head-on in your petition and at hearing.

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Major Guardianship Reform in Pennsylvania Strengthens Due Process and Oversight 

Rick Scott Leads Senate Aging Committee Hearing About The Older Americans Act

The Senate Aging Committee held a hearing entitled, "Renewing Our Commitment: How the Older Americans Act Uplifts Families Living with Aging-Related Diseases." 

Source: 
Rick Scott Leads Senate Aging Committee Hearing About The Older Americans Act