From The Mississippi Link Newswire
JACKSON – Two Hattiesburg residents who operated a personal care home have been arrested and charged with exploitation of vulnerable persons.
Juanita J. Goff, aka Janie Goff, 67, and Daniel Powell, 31, were arrested by investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Attorney General’s Office.
Goff and Powell were indicted earlier in December 2012 by a Forrest County Grand Jury on three counts each of exploitation of a vulnerable adult. At the time the crimes are alleged to have been committed, Goff was the owner operator of a personal care home. She and Powell were representative payees for the SSI benefits of residents residing in the personal care home.
In becoming representative payees for these individuals, Goff and Powell owed a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries to ensure the funds were used to meet their needs. The indictment alleges that Goff and Powell received and misused more than $21,000 in SSI benefits for five victims over a period of some eight months.
At the time of arrest, the residents of the personal care home were relocated to licensed facilities by the Department of Health.
If convicted, both defendants face up to 30 years in prison and $30,000 in fines.
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