Two Central Florida operators are facing felony charges after authorities said a network of homes in Polk and Osceola counties functioned as unlicensed assisted-living facilities for vulnerable residents.
Ronald Keith Pack, 60, and Marie Carenan, 56, were arrested on charges that include organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult, aggravated abuse, aggravated neglect, abuse, neglect, and public assistance fraud, according to the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
The state said Pack and Carenan operated under Cherish Home Care, Inc. and Cherish Independent Living Care, Inc. Authorities accused them of receiving referrals from mental health and behavioral health facilities, transporting vulnerable patients to the homes, and then taking control of residents’ identification, EBT cards, Social Security benefits, medications, and personal belongings…