Nine people accused of running unlicensed personal care homes for mentally and physically disabled adults in Gwinnett County were granted bonds Friday after spending two weeks in jail, and a prosecutor said more charges could be on the way.
The group of family members was arrested in a Dec. 2 raid of a dozen homes in the Snellville and Loganville areas after a months-long investigation.
The members, appearing before a judge on Friday, have denied that they were operating illegal group homes.
“These people aren’t a danger to the community,” their defense attorney Jack Harrell said in court, according to Channel 2 Action News. “They are a blessing to the community.”
Gwinnett police said five to 10 people were living in each of the homes. Police said residents were living in "unsafe and unsupervised conditions and some have a diminished mental capacity."
Occupants of the homes were removed and taken to other facilities.
Investigators said they believe many residents had to use government assistance, including Social Security benefits and food stamps, to pay their rent.
Prosecutor Karen West said in court that residents of the homes were threatened if they didn’t hand over disability checks.
“They know exactly what they are doing, and they choose to do this to bring in as much money as possible for themselves,” West said in court of those arrested, according to Channel 2 Action News.
The defendants include Donovan Ricardo Coward, Dawn Cicelia Walker, William J. Walker, Reggie Benard McKenzie, Jacqueline Pamela Mitchell, Neonard Precious Kumassah, Sasha Chantel Alphonso, Stefani Amoi Walker and Yulanda Natasha Walsh.
The group faces a 53-count indictment and West said the charges are likely to grow.
“I expect that there will be a future indictment that will involve many, many more counts,” the prosecutor said.
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