Four former Florida nursing home workers have been formally charged over the deaths of 12 residents related to Hurricane Irma.
The Broward County State Attorney’s Office formally filed criminal charges on Monday against Jorge Carballo, 61; Sergo Colin, 45; Althia Meggie, 36; and Tamika Miller, 31, CBS Miami reported.
Carballo and Colin have each been charged with nine counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. The two worked as the administrator and head nurse, respectively, at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, in Hollywood, FL, during the hurricane.
Miller, a licensed practical nurse, was charged with six counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult and two counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with medical records.
Meggie, a registered nurse, was charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult and two counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with medical records.
If convicted, the aggravated manslaughter charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in state prison, while the tampering charges have a maximum sentence of up to five years in state prison, the report stated.
The employees turned themselves in, in late August after arrest warrants were issued. Following their arrests, lawyers for three of the former employees said evidence will show that they “did everything they could” during the hurricane.
Fourteen residents died at the Hollywood Hills facility after Hurricane Irma knocked out its power and air conditioning in September 2017. Twelve of the deaths were ruled homicides.
