Four caregivers for vulnerable adults were charged following an investigation from the Medicaid fraud and residential abuse unit of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, according to court records.
The charges were filed against two couples — David and Heather Mumley, who lived in Swanton, and Krystal and Nicholas Grenier, of Milton — who cared for the two adults in their homes at various points in 2021 and 2022, according to an affidavit filed in Franklin County Superior Court.
According to the document written by Michael G. Hemond, a detective with the Medicaid fraud unit in the attorney general’s office, one victim was a 50-year-old man who was mostly nonverbal and received services through Champlain Community Services. The other was a 30-year-old woman supported by Northwestern Counseling and Support Services.
The complaint alleges the two couples had “a reciprocal arrangement” whereby the Greniers would provide intermittent care for the man and the Mumleys would do the same for the woman. At times, the couples would “exchange clients,” claiming the hours as respite care.
Though such use of the respite program does not constitute a direct violation of its regulation, it is “not specifically in keeping with the design,” the complaint states.
Heather Mumley, 30, Krystal Grenier, 30, and Nicholas Grenier, 29, each pleaded not guilty in recent days to single charges of neglect of a vulnerable adult, according to the attorney general’s office.
Krystal Grenier also pleaded not guilty to a felony count of Medicaid fraud, and Heather Mumley pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint of a vulnerable adult.
David Mumley, 29, who was arrested in Florida last week, had not been arraigned as of Tuesday morning, according to court officials. He faces two felony counts of neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in serious bodily injury, one count each of felony Medicaid fraud and voyeurism, and several misdemeanors.
David Mumley cared primarily for the 50-year-old man, who required assistance with feeding, using the toilet and other necessities, according to the affidavit. He was paid $36,200 annually and also received $12,527 a year to pay for respite care and $19,692 for other contracted supports, according to the affidavit.
The man was placed in David Mumley’s care on an emergency basis due to unsafe conditions at a previous household, according to the affidavit. During the time the man lived in Mumley’s residence, he was hospitalized multiple times.
During different visits, he suffered from a “baseball sized” abscess, sepsis/septic shock, aspiration pneumonia and severe dehydration, according to the affidavit. His weight — which fluctuated between 113 and 130 pounds from 2017 to 2019 — decreased to 68 pounds while under David Mumley’s care in 2021, the document indicated.
The initial report of neglect and abuse toward the vulnerable adults came from a housekeeper in February 2022, who reported that the male victim’s bathtub contained “chunks of feces” with “brown stuff” on the walls, according to the affidavit. The diaper bin was overflowing and a pair of blue mittens, later identified as restraint mittens, were also soiled, she told investigators.
The female victim, while being cared for at the Mumley residence, was at times held in a closet-like room, approximately 8 feet wide, with the lock to the room only accessible from the outside, the affidavit said.
Krystal Grenier was paid $45,511 annually to provide care for the woman, who required help with bathing, using the toilet and eating, among other essential needs.
The affidavit also detailed text messages allegedly sent between Nicholas Grenier and David Mumley. In one exchange, the latter sent a series of images of the male victim nude except for underwear with what appeared to be feces and vomit beneath his body and face. Nicholas Grenier responded with “HaHaHa Bro” and “Oh My God.”
In reference to other photographs David Mumley sent of the male victim with mucus on his face, Nicholas Grenier wrote that the victim was “a fuckin nasty ass hog,” according to the affidavit.
Heather Mumley allegedly sent text messages to her husband describing the male victim as “such a vile human” and asked if it was “OK to murder” him, to which David responded in the affirmative, according to the affidavit.
Unlawful restraint of a vulnerable adult carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and the potential for a $10,000 fine. The charge of felony neglect of a vulnerable adult has a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $10,000.