Nevada's top prosecutor is stepping up to help protect vulnerable residents of our community.
Contact 13 has the details in an ongoing coverage of corruption in Nevada's guardianship system.
Attorney General Adam Laxalt announced today that his office is putting teams together to help local police recognize elder abuse and exploitation.
Our series of investigative reports uncovered heart-wrenching cases where loved ones were isolated from their families while their life savings were drained.
Calling it the "...largest criminal guardianship abuse case in Nevada history", Laxalt referred to former private, for-profit guardian April Parks. Following our Contact 13 investigation, Parks and her business associates were arrested and charged with hundreds of felony counts, including racketeering and exploitation.
Family members of victims told us Parks often used the threat of calling police as a means to intimidate and isolate those she was assigned by the court to protect.
Court records from Parks' case state sometimes "police were with Parks...to create further fear"
Using new grant money from the department of justice, the AG's office is forming several teams to train local police, first responders, guardians and others to help seniors get the services they need without being exploited.
The new teams will hold training sessions through out this year, in both Southern and Northern Nevada. The AG's office also released a new elder abuse resource guide.
