A woman who once worked at the hospice where Bobbi Kristina Brown died, and who now stands accused of practicing as a registered professional nurse without a license and other charges in multiple jurisdictions, is back in Georgia.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
North Carolina authorities arrested Taiwo Bolatito Sobamowo, who worked at Peachtree Christian Hospice in Duluth at the time Bobbi Kristina was a patient there, acting on warrants from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. She was brought back to Forsyth County and arrived this morning, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Deputy Epifanio Rodriguez said.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
"Additional warrants were issued for Sobamowo which included felony Financial Identity Fraud and felony Forgery," the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said. "The investigation identified that Sobamowo was working as a registered nurse with a Georgia healthcare facility. Sobamowo had provided fraudulent credentials under a different name to gain employment."
Her first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. Should she be released on bond she will be immediately transported to Gwinnett County. She also faces charges in Duluth, where Peachtree Christian Hospice is located.
Duluth Police Major Don Woodruff said investigators are not sure exactly what contact Sobamowo allegedly had with Bobbi Kristina, who was initially hospitalized Jan. 31 and brought to the hospice facility in June. The only child of the late Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown died July 26 at age 22.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
The Forsyth charges involve a facility in Cumming and do not involve Bobbi Kristina. The Duluth Police Department started investigating after being alerted by their counterparts in Cumming.
"Forsyth reached out to us once they realized who they were dealing with," said Duluth Police Capt. Mark Hunter. Sobamowo faces a charge of practicing as a registered professional nurse without a license in Duluth and likely will face additional charges there, Hunter said.
He was unable to say exactly what her duties were at the hospice and what contact she might have had with Bobbi Kristina. She was a contract employee, “working in the capacity as clinical manager. She wasn’t actually employed by the hospice,” Hunter said. “We’re still working our case. I’d be hard pressed to get into specifics.”
Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care provides contract nurses for Peachtree Christian Hospice. In a statement released via The Associated Press, Homestead Hospice CEO Mallie Sharafat "said the company performed a background check and reviewed references from other health care agencies in the area."
“We had no reason to believe that she was anything other than a good nurse with proper credentials,” the statement read. “As soon as the credentialing discrepancy was discovered by one of our employees, we immediately took action and notified the appropriate authorities.”
