This morning in Third District Court, Jorge Gustavo Gonzalez, Sr. pled guilty to two third-degree felonies (Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult) and two Class A misdemeanors (Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult). Ignacio Gonzalez-Villarruel pled guilty to two Class A misdemeanors (Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult).
In June of last year, the Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office filed multiple charges against the two managers of Evergreen Place in Midvale. Restitution will include reimbursement to all residents (or the appropriate payors) for rent paid for January 2022, when the defendants collected rent payments despite safety and health violations. Restitution will remain open for the statutory period for possible further claims.
“Our senior population is very vulnerable, and elder abuse is one of the most pernicious crimes we prosecute. Congratulations to Director Wooton, AAG Langdon Fisher, and the AG MFCU team. There’s a reason they were honored in 2023 as the top unit in America by their federal counterparts,” said Attorney General Reyes.
The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Attorney General’s Office is steadfastly committed to protecting the State’s most vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.