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HOUSTON - The Harris County District Attorney's Office is charging a worker at an unlicensed boarding home in connection with the death of a 65-year-old resident.
John Grant, 55, could spend from 5 years to life in prison if convicted for injury to an elderly individual.
According to court documents, Grant worked as a caregiver at the unlicensed boarding home at 5818 Schevers Street in southeast Houston. He reportedly beat, restrained, and choked the victim on multiple occasions. About a week before the victim died, Grant reportedly tied him to a chair so tightly the cord cut his wrist.
The cut led to a blood infection. The victim died on May 3, 2020.
"The allegations are absolutely heinous. They're tragic. And, unfortunately, it's something that's becoming a lot more common that we're seeing in these types of unregulated homes," said Kristina Roberts, Chief Prosecutor of the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation, Harris County District Attorney's Office.
John Grant reportedly worked for Carroll Richardson, a man known very well to Houston Police for running unlicensed boarding homes.
Richardson is being investigated for running a boarding facility on Long Meadow Drive in Southeast Houston.
In September, nearly 40 people either elderly or with disabilites were removed from the house. Richardson has not been charged in connection with what happened there yet.
"His case is still under investigation by the Harris County Sheriff's Office," said Roberts.
State Senator Borris Miles got to see firsthand the deplorable conditions at the boarding home on Long Meadow Drive.
Since that night, he began drafting state legislation to address the loopholes in laws and regulations around boarding homes.
On Thursday, he introduced six bills -- SB 500, SB 501, SB 502, SB 503, SB 504, and SB 505.
"[SB 500] is going to ban hospitals from referring patients to unlicensed, unregulated groups homes," Miles said.
The others bills aim to give more authority to local fire marshals to inspect these facilities, and make it easier to prosecute crimes related to the abuse of their residents.
"This will be a bipartisan effort. It needs to be," concluded Miles.
Grant has two prior felony convictions in Harris County -- aggravated sexual assault of a child and theft.