[Vision2020] Pair plead innocent to allegations of neglect

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (November 11, 2014) Lewiston Tribune.

---------------------------------------
Pair plead innocent to allegations of neglect
Latah County couple charged with exploiting man under their care
MOSCOW - A Moscow couple pleaded innocent Monday to three felony charges alleging they neglected and exploited a 67-year-old man who died while in their care.
Lindsey M. Winter, 21, and Charles W. Wright, 24, entered their pleas to the crimes related to the death of Lee O. Pohrman. The couple are scheduled for an estimated two-week trial beginning Feb. 23 before Latah County 2nd District Judge John R. Stegner.
Pohrman was reportedly living with the couple when police responded to a report of an unconscious man at a residence on the 700 block of Brent Drive in Moscow, according to court documents. Police arrived Nov. 3, 2013, to find the man wearing only a dirty adult diaper and lying on the kitchen floor. He was transported to Gritman Medical Center, where he died from malnutrition or starvation, according to the autopsy report.
The couple allegedly told police Pohrman was paying them $400 per month, and then $350, for a place to stay and to take care of him, according to court records.
Winter and Wright both pleaded innocent to charges of principal to neglect of a vulnerable adult, principal to exploitation of a vulnerable adult and principal to fraudulent act to obtain public assistance.
If convicted, they face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine for principal to neglect of a vulnerable adult and principal to exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Principal to fraudulent act to obtain public assistance carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Police allege Pohrman's bank records for the approximately two years he lived with Winter and Wright indicate withdrawn amounts to the couple exceed the values initially described for his care, according to testimony during a preliminary hearing in the case.
Court documents indicate a total of $57,737 was deposited into Pohrman's checking account between February 2011 and November 2013. Of that amount, $40,450 was withdrawn in the form of 72 checks written to Winter or Wright.
The couple allegedly failed to report the income they received from Pohrman when applying to receive health and welfare benefits, including food stamps, according to testimony from two Idaho Department of Health and Welfare employees.
Stegner also issued a set of deadlines for pretrial motions and responses in the case for Latah County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mia Vowels and Moscow attorneys Charles E. Kovis and Deborah McCormick, who are representing Winter and Wright. They will appear in court again at 11 a.m. Jan. 12 for a pretrial motion hearing.

---------------------------------------

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20141111/6dbae730/attachment-0001.html>