A Richmond County grand jury indicted an Augusta woman for forging dozens of checks of personal care home residents.
Sandra D. Graham, 42, is named in the 15-count indictment for exploiting or intimidating a disabled or elderly person, forgery and theft by taking. She’s accused of writing approximately 65 checks on the accounts of personal care home residents totaling around $6,000.
Graham signed the checks with the patient’s name, followed by “By Simple Blessings Corp.”
Simple Blessings, the care home on Sullivan Road in south Augusta, is licensed by the state Department of Community Health. It has been cited by the department several times for reasons such as having untrained staff and unsafe conditions that included nadequate hot water and lighting, rodents and insect infestation.
Owned by Sarah Ellison, the home also was cited last year for not reporting the alleged thefts by Graham. The indictment states Ellison was unaware of her alleged thefts but that Graham was later fired.
The women worked together for years and were former business partners at Marie’s Senior Living and Open Arms Elderly Care.
A 2012 Department of Community Health inspection found 30 violations at Open Arms, located on Central Avenue. The sister of a disabled veteran who died after living briefly at the home complained about her brother’s untreated bedsores and bedbug bites and his case was referred to Adult Protective Services three times.
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