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Caregiver Charged: Family Seeks Justice in Elder Exploitation Case
1 Oct
Summary
- Caregiver Sarah Smalls faces fraud and exploitation charges in South Carolina.
- The accused allegedly pressured a vulnerable adult to sign over his home for $5.
- The victim's daughter is demanding further investigation into alleged abuse.
Nora Rowland, a Baltimore resident, is pursuing answers regarding the alleged fraud and exploitation of her father in South Carolina by his former caregiver, Sarah Smalls. Smalls was arrested and faces charges including breach of trust, perjury, and exploitation of a vulnerable adult, with bail set at $45,000. Rowland alleges Smalls pressured her father, who had a traumatic brain injury and Parkinson's disease, to transfer his approximately $300,000 home for $5.
Rowland discovered her father had died and his home was transferred to Smalls, with tens of thousands of dollars missing, after driving to South Carolina to check on him. Records from a senior living facility described her father as "emaciated" and "hallucinating" while signing legal documents. Rowland believes her father was subjected to abuse and medication that altered his mental state. Smalls has since been released on bail and is due back in court on December 11, 2026.
Rowland has filed a civil complaint and awaits further police investigation, expressing frustration that Smalls might benefit from the alleged crime. AARP Maryland advises placing assets in a trust and monitoring financial information when working with home care services.
