POINCIANA, Fla. — Following a year-long investigation into allegations of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, detectives with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a Poinciana husband and wife accused of operating a network of unlicensed assisted living facilities in Osceola and Polk counties.
Marie Tarah Carenan, 56, and Ronald Pack, 60, were taken into custody Wednesday after the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office executed multiple simultaneous search warrants at the couple’s residence and several homes allegedly being used as illegal assisted living facilities. Both were booked into the Osceola County Jail.
The couple faces multiple felony charges, including scheme to defraud, aggravated elder abuse, elder abuse, elder neglect, elder exploitation, and welfare fraud.
According to investigators, the case began after a 911 call to one of the facilities prompted an Osceola County deputy to investigate possible elder abuse. Detective Mangual-Barbosa spent more than a year working alongside the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), deputies from both Osceola and Polk counties, and other state agencies to dismantle what authorities described as an illegal assisted living operation.
Investigators allege the couple operated under the name Cherished Home Care, managing as many as nine unlicensed assisted living homes throughout Osceola and Polk counties without the licenses required by the State of Florida. Authorities said approximately 38 residents were removed from the homes Wednesday and relocated to licensed care facilities with assistance from DCF.
Detectives documented numerous health and safety violations during the investigation, including locks installed on windows, doors, refrigerators, and food storage cabinets. Officials also reported the homes lacked required life-saving equipment, fire extinguishers, and licensed nursing staff, despite housing bedridden residents requiring specialized medical care.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that in May 2025, five residents had already been relocated from one of the facilities after a court order required the home to cease operating.
Sheriff Christopher Blackmon praised Detective Mangual-Barbosa and the collaborative efforts of local and state agencies involved in the investigation, emphasizing that protecting seniors and adults with cognitive disabilities from abuse and exploitation remains a top priority for the Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities encourage anyone who suspects an unlicensed assisted living facility is operating in the community to contact law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Osceola Detectives Arrest Couple Accused of Operating Illegal Assisted Living Facilities
POINCIANA, Fla. — Following a year-long investigation into allegations of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, detectives with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a Poinciana husband and wife accused of operating a network of unlicensed assisted living facilities in Osceola and Polk counties.
Marie Tarah Carenan, 56, and Ronald Pack, 60, were taken into custody Wednesday after the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office executed multiple simultaneous search warrants at the couple’s residence and several homes allegedly being used as illegal assisted living facilities. Both were booked into the Osceola County Jail.
The couple faces multiple felony charges, including scheme to defraud, aggravated elder abuse, elder abuse, elder neglect, elder exploitation, and welfare fraud.
According to investigators, the case began after a 911 call to one of the facilities prompted an Osceola County deputy to investigate possible elder abuse. Detective Mangual-Barbosa spent more than a year working alongside the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), deputies from both Osceola and Polk counties, and other state agencies to dismantle what authorities described as an illegal assisted living operation.
Investigators allege the couple operated under the name Cherished Home Care, managing as many as nine unlicensed assisted living homes throughout Osceola and Polk counties without the licenses required by the State of Florida. Authorities said approximately 38 residents were removed from the homes Wednesday and relocated to licensed care facilities with assistance from DCF.
Detectives documented numerous health and safety violations during the investigation, including locks installed on windows, doors, refrigerators, and food storage cabinets. Officials also reported the homes lacked required life-saving equipment, fire extinguishers, and licensed nursing staff, despite housing bedridden residents requiring specialized medical care.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that in May 2025, five residents had already been relocated from one of the facilities after a court order required the home to cease operating.
Sheriff Christopher Blackmon praised Detective Mangual-Barbosa and the collaborative efforts of local and state agencies involved in the investigation, emphasizing that protecting seniors and adults with cognitive disabilities from abuse and exploitation remains a top priority for the Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities encourage anyone who suspects an unlicensed assisted living facility is operating in the community to contact law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
