A Tucson man employed as an adult caregiver has been convicted of one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult, and will serve prison time and also pay $250,000 in restitution. Christopher Lopez, 49, a caregiver employed by Caring Hearts in Tucson, was charged with 2 counts of Vulnerable Adult Abuse / Domestic Violence.
Lopez pled guilty to one count of vulnerable adult abuse on October 15, 2012 and is set for sentencing in front of Judge Richard Nichols in Pima County Superior Court on November 15, 2012.
The victim, Cynthia Fisher was an in-home client of Comfort Keepers In-Home Health Services. Having suffered a stroke several years prior she was immobile and required daily assistance with the tasks of everyday living. Lopez, the victim’s live-in boyfriend was hired by Comfort Keepers to provide full-time care for Ms. Fisher.
In early February, 2012 Ms. Fisher was taken to University Medical Center where she was treated for severe Stage 4 bedsores. The investigation revealed that Ms. Fisher had been left on the floor and not taken care of for a period of over two weeks. Detectives found that Ms. Fisher had not been properly fed, wasn’t assisted to the restroom and was lying in her own waste for that period of time.
The terms of the plea require that Lopez serve a mandatory prison term of .5 to 2.5 years in the Department of Corrections. Mr. Lopez will also be required to reimburse AHCCCS in an amount not to exceed $250,000 to cover the costs of Ms. Fisher’s emergency medical treatment.
The charges, filed June 14, 2012 in Pima County are a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Pima County Sherriff’s Department, the Attorney General’s Special Investigations Section, and the Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud and Abuse Section.
This case was referred to and is being prosecuted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud and Abuse Section.