Schneiderman: My Office Will Fully Prosecute Nursing Home Abuse
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that Samantha Grover, 36, a Certified Nurse Aide, pled guilty in Onondaga County Court before the Honorable Anthony F. Aloito Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree.
“Caregivers are entrusted with the health and safety of nursing home residents, and to intentionally cause physical harm to a resident is a gross violation of that trust,” Schneiderman said. “My office will continue working to root out and prosecute nursing home abuse.”
The incident occurred on October 17, 2015, at James Square Health and Rehabilitation Centre, a nursing home located at 918 James Street, when Grover struck a male resident in the face and pushed him causing him to trip and fall, hitting his shoulder on a piece of furniture. As a result, the resident suffered from impingement syndrome of the right shoulder with a rotator cuff strain.
Judge Aloi set sentencing for October 18, 2016. Grover faces up to four years in prison.
Grover resides in Syracuse. She worked at the nursing home for four years.
The case was investigated by Special Investigator Keith J. Hall. The case is being prosecuted by Ralph D. Tortora, III, Regional Director, Syracuse Regional Office of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Catherine Wagner is Chief of Criminal Investigations-Upstate. William Falk is the Deputy Chief Investigator Upstate. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is led by Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.