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A Lithonia woman has been sentenced to prison after a jury found she housed disabled adults in filthy, unsafe conditions while depriving them of care and exploiting them financially, prosecutors said.
On Thursday, a DeKalb County jury convicted 43-year-old Crystal Nasir of deprivation of essential services to disabled adults and exploitation of a disabled adult. The case stemmed from a January 2022 investigation into what prosecutors described as deplorable conditions inside Nasir’s unlicensed care home.
District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction, calling the case an example of the dangers vulnerable adults face in unregulated facilities.
Authorities said the investigation began after a 38-year-old disabled man called police on Dec. 28, 2021, to report that he was living in a home with several others “in terrible conditions.” He told officers he stayed in a basement with no heat or air conditioning and sewage covering the floor from an overflowing toilet. He also said he had not received his prescription medication in some time.
A week later, on Jan. 4, 2022, police executed a search warrant at the house on Castle Downs Trace in Lithonia, where they found conditions far worse than described. Officers reported dog feces, mold, and filth throughout the home. Residents were seen walking barefoot or in shoes caked with waste.
Investigators said disabled adults were living on raw mattresses, with soiled bedding and mold growing on walls. In the basement, where temperatures matched the cold outside, there was standing water, rat infestations, and a broken toilet overflowing with raw sewage. Some residents had resorted to using a bucket as a toilet.
Despite the squalor, investigators found Nasir’s bedroom clean and orderly, with a well-maintained bathroom. Officers discovered that she kept residents’ medications, mail, and financial documents in her room and home office.
Five disabled adults were found living in the home. Among them was a 44-year-old woman with severe mental health issues who, investigators learned, had been forced to cook and clean daily for other residents without pay.
Following the verdict, Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams sentenced Nasir to 15 years, with 10 to serve in confinement and the remainder on probation.
If you suspect elder abuse in Georgia, call Adult Protective Services at 1-866-552-4464 (option 3) or report online at aging.ga.gov/report-elder-abuse. For residents in nursing homes or assisted living, contact the Georgia Department of Community Health at 1-800-878-6442. In an emergency, call 911. Reports can be made confidentially or anonymously.
