Three Graniteville women have been jailed on allegations they were involved in a scam that bilked an elderly man out of more than $150,000 he received from Norfolk Southern after the 2005 train derailment, officials said.
Minni Lee Jeff, of Mt. Arthur Drive, 70, faces the most serious allegations of abuse.
She is charged with two counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult. She is also accused of forcing the 78-year-old victim, Elija Earl, to live in a shed in her back yard without plumbing. Earl is now in protective custody, and all three women have been charged.
Investigators said Jeff abused her power of attorney and her role as a caregiver, spent most of the $160,000 Earl received from Norfolk Southern and then transferred what little she had not spent to her own account.
Jeff's sister, Maudeine Mayer, 64, of Pine Street, has also been implicated for her alleged involvement.
She is charged with obstruction.
Mayer's daughter, who is also Jeff's niece, has also been arrested.
Angela Townsend, 37, of Mt. Arthur Drive is also charged with obstruction.
The investigation unfolded in late April when the a circuit court judge and the Department of Social Services (DSS) learned of the exploitation allegations. Deputies soon found the abuse dated back several years, said Capt. Troy Elwell, a spokesperson for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.
Earl had been living in the Graniteville area in Jan. 2005 when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in downtown and spilled deadly amounts of chlorine and killed nine people. By October of that year, the elderly Earl was living under Jeff's care, Elwell said.
"At that time DSS found he was living in a shed without plumbing in the backyard," the captain said. "He was under her care."
He voluntarily moved into an elder care facility that year until 2007 when returned to Jeff's care.
How that happened, Elwell said, is still part of the investigation.
Investigators believe that in 2007 the elderly man received $160,000 settlement from Norfolk Southern.
"Since that time Jeff has managed to spend more than $100,00 of that," Elwell said.
Very little of the money went for Earl's care, he added.
In March, Jeff was accused of withdrawing the remainder of Earl's money from his account and depositing it in her own, according to arrest warrants.
Investigators did not have a full accounting of what she spent the money on, saying that it was still part of the ongoing investigation and that Jeff has not been forthcoming with that information.
Earlier this month, a judge ordered Jeff to serve jail time for contempt of court for not giving officials an accounting of her finances, and deputies went to Earl's home to take him into protective custody.
Once there, they learned he was not at home.
"Mayer and Townsend had taken Earl and his medication and left," he said.
The women claimed they had taken him for ice cream, Elwell added, but the deputies who called Townsend said she told them she would bring him back, but they did not.
"Then, they agreed to bring him to the sheriff's office, but they did not," Elwell said.
The women would not answer phone calls after that, he added.
The women eventually met with investigators and were taken into police custody.
Earl was placed into emergency protective custody at that time, the captain said.
The case, is active, and there may be more victims.
Jeff has been sentenced to serve six months for failing to report to Judge Jack Early her expenditures and is currently being held at the Aiken County detention center on that charge.
Both Mayer and Townsend were booked at the detention center and released on bond.
Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.
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Posted by: Family Member On: Saturday, May 16, 2009 11:07 AM
Comment Title: Family Member Reply
I am thank for the South Carolina authorities for taking action after I persist to assure that my brothers Health and Safety would be met again. The accused took my brother from a well operated facility in South Carolina and gained power of attorney for personal gain. She took him to her house without medical release and he previously rented a shed from her for living quarters. When I inquired about my brother, the town people stated that the lady he rented from was getting overly anxious on anticipation of getting my brothers check and wanted to make sure it was received speedily. I am retired in New York and made visits to the facility to see my brother and assure my brothers Health and Safety needs were met. Our local family also checked on “Buddy” and kept me informed. When I was told that he was taken by the accused without regards to his nursing needs and the accused did not take his orders for his medication and other Physician Orders( This raised concerns for his well-being). She then took power attorney over him and placed him with her. I feel that the State of South Carolina is entitled to receive any remaining funds for his Health Care Benefits that were given to him and state assistance given throughout the years. The attorney that released his funds should have put it in a Trust Fund (appointed by the county). I made arrangements to meet with the attorney in Augusta Georgia and he failed to meet the appointment. I continued my relentless efforts and again give thanks to the South Carolina Authorities who investigated to assure his Health needs were met. The accused orginally stated that she did not have the victims check(my brother). It was found later after research that she did indeed access his funds. If the accused relies on the position that she was his health care provider, why would she report previously that she did not have his funding.
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Posted by: A. RDOP On: Saturday, May 16, 2009 10:05 AM
Comment Title: ELDER ABUSE
THIS SITUATION IS NOT AS SIMPLE AND PLAN AS IT MAY SEEMS.GOING BACK TWENTY YEARS I HAVE KNOW THIS MAN TO ALONE WALKING ON THE RAILROAD PICKING UP CAN WITH NO SHOWS. STAYIGN IN ABANDON HOUSES REFUSING TO LIVE WITH MR PAIGE, WHO IS NOW DECEASED.. THE SHACK YOU ARE REERRING TO NEEDS TO BE COMPARED TO THE HOUSE THAT HIS DEAR BROTHER WOULD HAVE HIM TO LIVE IN. GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT IT RIGHT IN THAT ALLEY. THE ELDERLY GENTLEMEN AT THE TIME THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE PUBLICS ATENTION WAS LIVING IN THE BIG HOUSE ON THE HILL. WOODS FLOORS, COLOR TV, BATHROOM AND A SURE PIECE OF MIND. HAD THIS MAN BEEN IN THAT NURSING HOME WHERE WOULD HIS MONEY BE. AND IF IM NOT MISTAKING INSURANCE ONLY COVERS THOSE WITHOUT ASSES OR MONEY. WAGES FROM FHIS CHECK WOULD BE GARNISHED. TO THE SISTER OF THE GU Y THAT SHE CARES FOR YOU BROHTER YOU SHOULD TREAT YOU BROTHER LIKE A DUMMY BECAUSE HE IS NOT.SHE CARES MORE ABOUT HIM THAN YOU DO. BECAUSE HIS HANDICAPPED HES NOT DUMB AS YOU NAND FAMILY WQOLD HAVE HIM TO BE
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 4:35 PM
Comment Title:
I know all of these people, they are resposible for taking care of my brother(Marvin Norris). I think that they should be charged with a felony offense.Someone please contact me about this matter @1-864-909-7027 Kayla Norris.....
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 4:34 PM
Comment Title:
your racism is showing, ignorant fool
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:56 PM
Comment Title:
Who said anyhting about color. Go play your race card somewhere else. Many criminal scumbags of all color were hung in the United States. I said nothing of lynching, which is what your implying. Hanging as a form of execution, based on the guilty verdict of a jury, is completely different than lynching. Dont be late for your Black Panthers meeting.
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Posted by: concern for the elderly On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:26 PM
Comment Title: No Excuse For This To Have Happened!
The person or people responsible for returning him to this dungeon should be held accountable. They should be charged with a felony offense by the legal system.
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Posted by: EEDAN_BB On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 1:09 PM
Comment Title: Re: statement about SGT(P) T.J Hicks comment
We have to consider hanging in 2009 because the electric chair may contribute to more global warming. We are just trying to do our fair share of saving the Confederate States of America!!!
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Posted by: SGT(P) T.J Hicks On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:50 AM
Comment Title:
It is a shame that in the year of 2009, we are still talking about hanging people. The crimes that the three Graniteville women committed were horrendous and sicken. But we as a nation must learn to look past color and trust in the judicial system to handle such crimes. The president of the United States is President Barrack Hussein Obama and NOT Jefferson Finis Davis. This is the United States of America and not the Confederate States of America.
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 10:15 AM
Comment Title:
I agree. Hang them or put them in a shed for the summer and let nature take its course. As Josey Wales so eloquently stated" buzzards got to eat same as worms"
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:55 AM
Comment Title:
I agree to the tree. However, that ain't gonna happen. Maybe life without parole living in a shed without heat, air, or plumbing. That ain't gonna happen either, because our socialist goverment won't allow it.
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:13 AM
Comment Title: Spaldowski
Nothing breeds greed more than the "have-nots" who discover that another "have-not" suddenly has something. To the "tree" for these 3.
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:09 AM
Comment Title: Shamed
This is sickening!
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Posted by: On: Thursday, May 14, 2009 6:07 AM
Comment Title: Watch carefully
I hope the standard will watch this case carefully. The citizens of Aiken need to stand united and demand the most severe sentence our laws allow for these three women. In fact they should be hung at Richland and Laurens or on the court house steps for treating this elderly man this way.. The three are nothing more than animals...
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