Current:Home > News3 arrested on charges of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud in separate Arkansas cases -Aspire Money Growth
3 arrested on charges of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud in separate Arkansas cases
View
Date:2025-04-15 13:56:24
Three people were arrested in Arkansas on charges of Medicaid fraud and elder abuse in separate cases, including one instance in which an employee at an assisted living facility was seen striking an elderly woman with Alzheimer's Disease, prosecutors say.
All three suspects in the different cases were arrested or surrendered themselves into custody on Oct. 31.
North Little Rock resident Ja’Layia J. McClendon, 28, was arrested on a charge of abusing an endangered or impaired person after prosecutors say witnesses saw her hitting 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer's Disease living at a Little Rock assisted living facility. Prosecutors say the woman was left with bruises on her face and forearm.
Trey Franks, 28, was arrested in Little Rock on Oct. 31 on a warrant for the same charge after prosecutors say more than $1,000 was sent to his credit card from the bank account of a woman living in a long-term care facility in Cabot, Arkansas, in five separate transfers from September to October 2023.
The third arrest was that of Hannah Christmas, a 34-year-old Hamburg, Arkansas, resident, who is facing a charge of Medicaid fraud. She's accused of billing the Dermott, Hamburg and Lakeside school districts $5,500 for physical therapy services that were never rendered from August 2023 to April 2024.
USA TODAY attempted to contact attorneys for all three people and either could not identify one or did not hear back from them.
Elder abuse can take on many forms, including physical, psychological or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect and abandonment. The Justice Department estimates that more than 10% of people over the age of 65 suffer from some form of elder abuse each year.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com
veryGood! (7296)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Yang Bing-Yi, patriarch of Taiwan's soup dumpling empire, has died
- Dwyane Wade Recalls Daughter Zaya Being Scared to Talk to Him About Her Identity
- COP Negotiators Demand Nations do More to Curb Climate Change, but Required Emissions Cuts Remain Elusive
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- The president of the United Auto Workers union has been ousted in an election
- Elvis Presley’s Stepbrother Apologizes for “Derogatory” Allegations About Singer
- Labor's labors lost? A year after stunning victory at Amazon, unions are stalled
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Inside Clean Energy: From Sweden, a Potential Breakthrough for Clean Steel
Ranking
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Yang Bing-Yi, patriarch of Taiwan's soup dumpling empire, has died
- Gas Stoves in the US Emit Methane Equivalent to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Half a Million Cars
- Florida's new Black history curriculum says slaves developed skills that could be used for personal benefit
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Confusion Over Line 5 Shutdown Highlights Biden’s Tightrope Walk on Climate and Environmental Justice
- A Colorado Home Wins the Solar Decathlon, But Still Helps Cook the Planet
- Barack Obama drops summer playlist including Ice Spice, Luke Combs, Tina Turner and Peso Pluma
Recommendation
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
Inside Clean Energy: Ohio Shows Hostility to Clean Energy. Again
SVB collapse could have ripple effects on minority-owned banks
Venezuela sees some perks of renewed ties with Colombia after years of disputes
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Elvis Presley’s Stepbrother Apologizes for “Derogatory” Allegations About Singer
The U.S. condemns Russia's arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter
Sophia Culpo’s Ex Braxton Berrios Responds to Cheating Allegations