FORMER HOUSE MANAGER FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULT

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced that Phyllis Fakuade, 41, a former house manager at a group home for developmentally disabled individuals run by Netcon & Earthkins, Inc. pled guilty to assault in connection with a June 24, 2004 incident in which she placed a vulnerable adult face down on the floor, placed her knee in the victim’s back and pulled up on the victim’s arms. Baltimore County District Court Jan Alexander granted Fakuade probation before judgment and placed her on one year probation.

One of the homes under Fakuade’s care was located at1913 Brookdale Road. During the afternoon of June 24, 2004, Fakuade was called to the house because Stephanie M., a 24-year old developmentally disabled resident of the group home, had gotten out of control. Fakuade arrived about 1.5 hours later and by that time Stephanie had calmed down. On her way to the house, Fakuade stopped to buy ice cream for the other residents of the home. Upon her arrival, Fakuade told Stephanie that she could not have the ice cream because of her bad behavior and Stephanie became agitated again. Fakuade took Stephanie and placed her face down on the floor. Fakuade then put her knee in Stephanie ’s back and pulled up on Stephanie’s arms, one of which is deformed, causing pain to Stephanie. The defendant remained on top of Stephanie with her knee in her back.

The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which has the authority to prosecute abuse or neglect of vulnerable adults in Medicaid-funded facilities.