Louisiana Attorney General arrests nursing home owner after deadly Hurricane Ida evacuation

The proprietor of seven Louisiana nursing properties that were evacuated during Hurricane Ida to a warehouse where at minimum seven people died is experiencing several costs of fraud and cruelty to the infirmed.

Bob Dean Jr. was charged Wednesday in Tangipahoa Parish with 8 felony counts of cruelty to persons with infirmities, 5 felony counts of Medicaid fraud and two felony counts of obstruction of justice.

Investigators observed Dean “refused to transfer his inhabitants out of the warehouse following Hurricane Ida, billed Medicaid for dates his people had been not receiving right treatment and engaged in carry out intended to intimidate or obstruct general public health officers and legislation enforcement,” Legal professional Standard Jeff Landry’s business reported in a release.

The investigation was led by the Louisiana Lawyer General’s Medicaid Fraud Device and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations.

Added authorized motion may well be filed as the investigation is ongoing.

Dean, who life in Georgia with his spouse, flew into Louisiana and self-surrendered Wednesday, his lawyer John McLindon said. The judge set the 68-year-old’s bond at $350,000 and he will be produced from jail Wednesday afternoon, McLindon said. Dean has authorization to return to Georgia.

“We will vigorously protect these prices,” McLindon explained to the Day by day Advertiser.

If convicted of cruelty to people with infirmities, Dean could experience up to a $10,000 fantastic and 10 several years in prison for each and every demand, according to condition regulation. If convicted of Medicaid fraud, he could facial area up to a $20,000 great and 5 many years in prison for each individual charge.

The Louisiana Section of Health and fitness revoked the facilities’ licenses after nursing residence citizens were evacuated to a Tangipahoa Parish warehouse for the duration of Hurricane Ida.

The Affiliated Press reported that 15 citizens died after the evacuation, however some could not be relevant to the storm or warehouse, and LDH referred to as the disorders unsafe and inhumane.

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Track record: What to know about nursing residence evacuation to Independence, lawsuit

The services laid off much more than 800 folks after that. But in the notice the amenities known as the revocation of the licenses “short term,” and stated the conclusion was being appealed.

A class-action lawsuit also has been filed in opposition to Dean, alleging that the nursing dwelling people “referred to as out to the representatives of defendants for meals, water, drugs, and to be relieved of their soiled diapers, outfits and bed linens (for those people who had been supplied linens) but their calls went unanswered.”

The seven services that evacuated patients to the Independence, Louisiana, warehouse were being located in Orleans, Lafourche, Terrebonne and Jefferson parishes.

Right before Hurricane Ida created landfall, the services evacuated more than 800 people to the warehouse. It was unwell-outfitted for the quantity of people it housed and there weren’t plenty of personnel to care for citizens, according to a lawsuit.

911 phone calls: Nursing property evacuees named 911 from fetid warehouse where by 4 died, but EMTs turned away

About the lawsuit: As disorders at Louisiana warehouse worsened for the duration of Ida, staff made bathrooms from buckets

Mattresses were being laid on the floor, just inches from every single other, a difficulty that was exacerbated when rainwater leaked into just one of the warehouse’s buildings.

Officers with the division of well being produced a number of visits to the internet site but Dean threatened them. They later on returned with legislation enforcement officers and taken off residents.

Get in touch with Ashley White at [email protected] or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. 

This write-up initially appeared on Lafayette Day by day Advertiser: Louisiana nursing property operator arrested following Hurricane Ida evacuation