Social workers guilty of fraud in starvation case

[chloe]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Four social workers were convicted Wednesday of fraud for submitting phony paperwork for visits they never made to a disabled teenage girl who weighed only 42 pounds and was covered in maggot-infested sores when she was found dead in her home.
A federal jury in Philadelphia convicted the employees of now-defunct MultiEthnic Behavioral Health Inc. of defrauding the city of millions of dollars by not visiting the family of Danieal Kelly, 14, and other needy households, then creating paperwork that claimed they did.

Kelly, who had cerebral palsy, weighed less than half her expected weight when she was found dead in 2006, an expert witness for the prosecution testified.

Company co-founders Mickal Kamuvaka, 60, and Solomon Manamela, 52, and former caseworkers Julius Juma Murray, 52, and Miriam Coulebaly, 41, were all convicted of conspiracy, lying to federal agents and multiple counts of health care fraud and wire fraud.

"Danieal Kelly paid the ultimate price for these defendants' fraud, and we hope that this is some measure of justice for her and the other children who were the victims, really, of this fraud," Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben said.

Kamuvaka still faces trial on a state charge of involuntary manslaughter in Kelly's death. Murray, the caseworker assigned to the family, also faces an involuntary manslaughter trial and is being held pending trial this month on federal immigration charges.

Defense attorneys for Kamuvaka and Manamela argued that they were victims of "renegade" employees. Kamuvaka's attorney, William Cannon, said his client was "very disappointed" by the verdict. Manamela's attorney, Paul J. Hetznecker, acknowledged "significant" mismanagement but said his client was dedicated to social work.

Manamela, whose attorney argued that it was possible for his client to have made the required visits to Kelly's home but still to have missed evidence of her condition, declined to comment. Coulibaly, who had no direct role in the Kelly case, also declined to comment on the verdict.

Kelly's mother, Andrea, is serving 20 to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree murder.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=157&sid=9546521

[krisy]

Her mother must have been a real piece of work

These social workers....many of them are useless. I saw a story on tv last night about 4 foster boys who were malnurished so bad I'm surprised there wasn't permanent damaged. They said their foster parents gave them water and if they were lucky they got a piece of bread. Disgusting!!!!!! One of them wighed 40 pounds or something like that at the age of 14. Again,where were the case workers? The state takes charge of kids because they see the parents as unfit and then the state too fails them.

[chloe]

Her mother must have been a real piece of work

These social workers....many of them are useless. I saw a story on tv last night about 4 foster boys who were malnurished so bad I'm surprised there wasn't permanent damaged. They said their foster parents gave them water and if they were lucky they got a piece of bread. Disgusting!!!!!! One of them wighed 40 pounds or something like that at the age of 14. Again,where were the case workers? The state takes charge of kids because they see the parents as unfit and then the state too fails them.

Yeah I think its awful. I would think there would be strict codes on becomeing a foster parent, but then I read a story like this and can't understand how it can happen. 4 social workers lying on paperwork its unbelievable !

[Monkeybone]

It's good ol'government run programs. These people probably benefited from Affirmative Action as well.

but that is sad... these people should be charged with more than jsut fraud. THey should have neglect and such slapped on them. When the state takes care of kids like this, they should be considered "parents" when it comes to their well being.

[PostmodernProphet]

it strains credibility to believe that it's coincidence for this type of caseworker to be paired to mulitiple incidents of this type of foster parent....caseworkers who are in it for the money and don't inspect, foster parents who are in it for the money who don't provide care?......sounds like a larger conspiracy to commit fraud in my mind.....did this agency recruit people to be foster parents in exchange for cash?.....sounds likely to me......

[Kathianne]

it strains credibility to believe that it's coincidence for this type of caseworker to be paired to mulitiple incidents of this type of foster parent....caseworkers who are in it for the money and don't inspect, foster parents who are in it for the money who don't provide care?......sounds like a larger conspiracy to commit fraud in my mind.....did this agency recruit people to be foster parents in exchange for cash?.....sounds likely to me......

What one gets when totally dependent on government. Now we should let them take on all of our healthcare, mandate how much sodium or fats, whether we smoke or drink? See how well they take care of 'the most vulnerable?' What do you think they'd do to the average American?

[Monkeybone]

What one gets when totally dependent on government. Now we should let them take on all of our healthcare, mandate how much sodium or fats, whether we smoke or drink? See how well they take care of 'the most vulnerable?' What do you think they'd do to the average American?

it's called the Evaluation. WHY should I spend this money on you? What do you contribute to the society? Are you worth saving?

[AllieBaba]

It's good ol'government run programs. These people probably benefited from Affirmative Action as well.

but that is sad... these people should be charged with more than jsut fraud. THey should have neglect and such slapped on them. When the state takes care of kids like this, they should be considered "parents" when it comes to their well being.

Actually, if I read the initial post correctly, the workers were employees of a private organization, not the state.

[krisy]

Actually, if I read the initial post correctly, the workers were employees of a private organization, not the state.

Good point. I think there are supposed to be several people checking in on foster children from the state down to the agency. My idiot neighbor had foster kids and there were constantly people over there.County people,agency people,psychiatric people. She used to like to brag to me about how much money she got for taking care of those kids. She also got free health care for her and her kids,along with 1200 a month in food stamps(she had a family of 5 kids!) plus her two.

[Monkeybone]

Actually, if I read the initial post correctly, the workers were employees of a private organization, not the state.

and why would a private company do that work? It was regulated by the government, no?

[Nukeman]

Actually, if I read the initial post correctly, the workers were employees of a private organization, not the state.

thats correct HIRED by the state to conduct home visits!!! Or are you honestly saying they were a private organization with NO contact at the state family services!!!!!???? If they are private why in the hell would they be involved????

[AllieBaba]

No. I'm saying it's a private company, as it says in the initial post.

And there are lots of private companies who provide human services. I worked as a program manager for 2 years for a private company that ran group homes for diminished capacity sex offenders. Neither I nor my bosses nor any of the 38 people who worked under me worked for the state. They answered to me, I answered to my boss, and she answered to the owner, who lived out of state.

It's a growing industry. And I was just pointing out these are not state employees. Pretty simple.

[avatar4321]

The city never thought that "Hey, maybe we should actually see if these people are doing their jobs before we pay them?"

I'm sure it was all political. If someone actually suggested that, they would have been accused of starving the kids themselves.

This system can be totally screwed up sometimes. And it's because government sucks.

[chloe]

Someone is accountable for this, and whether it was government or private the People who were supposed to review the case were liscenced social workers right? So why did all 4 of them lie? I have seen shows that profile how overloaded government social workers are with family cases whenever an incident happens its used as an explanation of how this could happen. So a private company should be more on top of things you would think.