Man charged in operating an unlicensed personal care home enters guilty plea | | news-journal.com

Oct 24, 2024

Curtis Bankston

GRIFFIN — Curtis Bankston, arrested in January 2022 on charges related to operating an unlicensed personal care home at his home, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of operating an unlicensed care home.

The charge includes a factual stipulation of unreasonable confinement, said Tracy Walston, media relations coordinator for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.

Bankstons was sentenced to five years probation, a $5,000 fine, community service and a special condition of not providing any care or assistance, or being a financial representative for elder persons, disabled adults, residents of a long-term care facility, and he cannot operate such a facility, Walston said.

Bankston and his wife, Sophia Simm-Bankston, were each charged with one count of operating an unlicensed personal care home, six counts of unreasonable confinement of a disabled adult, and one count of unreasonable confinement of a residence

Other charges on Curtis Bankston’s indictment were nolle prossed as a part of the plea negotiations. The charges on his wife are still pending at this time, Walston said.

The Bankstons were charged with operating an unlicensed personal care facility at a Valley Road residence under the name of a church known as One Step of Faith Second Chance. Further investigation reportedly uncovered the couple was in control of the people’s finances, medications and public benefits, according to police reports.

Originally published on bloxgnt.paxtonmedia.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

Curtis Bankston