Louisiana nursing home owner arrested after residents died in botched hurricane evacuation

The proprietor of seven Louisiana nursing properties whose residents suffered in squalid circumstances after being evacuated to a warehouse as Hurricane Ida approached final yr was arrested on Wednesday, Louisiana Legal professional Basic Jeff Landry introduced.

Bob Glynn Dean Jr., 68, faces a number of counts of cruelty to individuals with infirmities, Medicaid fraud and obstruction of justice, the legal professional common mentioned in a information launch.

Within the days after Ida hit, final August 29, the state reported the deaths of seven individuals who had been evacuated to the warehouse within the city of Independence. 5 had been labeled as storm-related deaths. State and federal officers described depressing circumstances on the warehouse, with some bedridden residents on flooring mattresses crying for assist and a few with full diapers.

On-line reserving data present that Dean was in custody Wednesday afternoon in Tangipahoa Parish. His legal professional didn’t instantly reply to an emailed request for remark.

Within the information launch, Landry mentioned Dean billed Medicaid for dates his residents weren’t receiving correct care on the warehouse “and engaged in conduct supposed to intimidate or hinder public well being officers and legislation enforcement.”

Dean had already misplaced the state licenses for his seven amenities after transferring lots of of residents to a poorly outfitted warehouse as Ida approached. In Could, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers introduced it was prohibiting Dean from receiving federal funding, together with Medicare.

Ida blasted ashore final August as one of the highly effective storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out energy to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the circulate of the Mississippi River because it rushed from the Louisiana coast into a serious industrial hall. Ida’s landfall with 150 mph winds marked the primary time in recorded historical past {that a} state received back-to-back years of 150 mph winds or extra.