A Snellville woman was in custody Saturday, accused of stealing from mentally disabled adults living in a network of personal care homes she operates in Gwinnett County.
Gwinnett Police spokesman Detective James Flanagan said that the arrest of Seema Vijay, 37, was the culmination of an 8-month-long investigation by the county and state Division of Aging Services, a regulatory agency for personal care homes.
Vijay is accused of taking $10,302 from disabled residents between May and September 2011, authorities said.
Investigators are in the process of getting Vijay's bank records dating back to 2006, when she began opening her businesses, to determine if there were any older thefts, Flanagan said.
About 50 officers and detectives on Wednesday searched eight locations -- Vijay's home on Pate Road in Snellville, two state-licensed personal care homes and five residences where investigators believe Vijay was operating unlicensed personal care homes.
According to Flanagan, there was no evidence that residents -- about 20 to 30 adults who suffered from various mental disabilities or disorders -- were abused. He expects six more warrants to be filed in coming days alleging neglect of residents based upon failure to provide proper care and living conditions.
"In one of the cases, water was shut off at a house for five days," Flanagan said. "In others, maybe it wasn’t as clean [in the home] as it should have been."
There were two facilities in separate homes on Bob Hannah Circle in Lawrenceville. The other homes were on Shannon Way, Country Oaks Court, Sydney Pond Circle, and Waterbury Drive in Lawrenceville, and on Fremont Drive in Stone Mountain, according to Flanagan.
The residents in the homes have all been placed back with their families or in other licensed personal care facilities, Flanagan said.
Police have not filed charges against any of Vijay's employees.
Attempts to reach someone at two of the published phone numbers for personal care homes on Bob Hannah Circle and Shannon Way were unsuccessful on Saturday. The numbers were either disconnected or had recorded messages saying the voice mail box was full.
Vijay's attorney, Harold Holcombe, did not return calls Saturday.
Vijay is is scheduled to appear in Gwinnett County Magistrate Court for a probable cause hearing on Thursday.
She was being held without bond at the Gwinnett jail because she is considered a flight risk, arrest warrants show.
About the Author
