Detectives from the Economic Crimes Division of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested four nursing home employees for multiple counts of exploitation of the elderly.
The detectives uncovered a large-scale fraud scheme that included fourteen elderly victims at three different Assisted Living Facility (ALF) locations.
Detectives began an investigation on June 30, 2022, after receiving a report of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card from a victim living in an ALF. Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives identified two suspects, 43-year-old Angella Jackson and her daughter, 28-year-old Lashantia Brown, both of Pinellas Park. Both Jackson and Brown were employed at three different ALFs over a period of several months. Detectives learned that Jackson and Brown would take photos of the victims’ debit cards and credit cards and then share the information via text message with one another.
Detectives also discovered photos of a driver’s license belonging to two elderly victims in Brown’s cellphone. Detectives say there were multiple text message conversations between Jackson, Brown, and two other suspects, later identified as 33-year-old Kanisha Altidor and 20-year-old Janorris Johnson, both of Pinellas Park. All four suspects communicated via text message and benefited from the fraudulent charges.
Detectives say the suspects made fraudulent purchases at Adventure Island, T-Mobile, an online shoe retailer, and created a Spectrum (Charter Communications) account for a residence with the information. According to detectives, Jackson stole $4,000.00 in cash from an elderly victim. The total loss was approximately $14,000.00.
Brown and Jackson were employed at the following Assisted Living Facilities:
Best Care Living at St. Pete (1001 9th Street North, St. Petersburg)
Magnolia Gardens (3800 62nd Avenue North, Pinellas Park)
The Villas of Casa Celeste (9225 82nd Avenue, Seminole)
On February 23, 2023, all four suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
Angella Jackson (Suspect – Arrested)
Charges: Conspiracy, 12 counts of Exploitation of the Elderly, Aggravated
Criminal Use of Personal Identification Information, Grand Theft, Scheme to
Defraud
Lashantia Brown (Suspect – Arrested)
Charges: Conspiracy, 12 counts of Exploitation of the Elderly, Scheme to Defraud,
Criminal Possession of Personal Identification Information 5 or more persons,
Aggravated Criminal Use of Personal Identification Information, Tampering with
Physical Evidence
Kanisha Altidor (Suspect – Arrested)
Charges: Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card
Janorris Johnson (Suspect – Arrested)
Charges: Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card
The investigation continues.