Executive Summary
- Systemic Exploitation: Experts identified a "playbook" where unlicensed operators recruit vulnerable seniors from shelters and hospitals to seize their government benefits.
- Fatal Consequences: The investigation was anchored by the death of 85-year-old Daniel Jenkins, who died of hypothermia after wandering from an unlicensed facility.
- Regulatory Gaps: Former state officials warn that Maryland’s current oversight systems are insufficient to track or stop these "underground" trafficking networks.
- Medical Neglect: Authorities recovered over 100 vials of resident medication from an operator, indicating a pattern of withholding necessary healthcare.
An investigation into Maryland’s unregulated assisted living sector has uncovered a systematic "senior trafficking" operation where vulnerable elderly residents are exploited for government benefits, a scheme highlighted by the hypothermia death of 85-year-old Daniel Jenkins. According to court records and expert testimony, unlicensed operators are utilizing a specific "playbook" to recruit, isolate, and financially exploit older adults with dementia and disabilities.
Daniel Jenkins was found deceased on Edison Highway in East Baltimore on March 3, 2019, four days after being placed in an unlicensed assisted living home operated by Asa Ene Ita. A guilty-plea statement filed by the Maryland Attorney General’s office details that Jenkins, who suffered from dementia, wandered from the facility unnoticed and unreported for more than 12 hours. While Ita and her employees assured Jenkins’ family that he was "fine" and "adjusting," an autopsy later determined his cause of death to be hypothermia.
The case against Ita, who pleaded guilty to two counts of abuse of a vulnerable person, revealed the mechanics of a shadow industry. Anna Thomas, executive director of the National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions, described the operation as a "well-oiled machine" where seniors are treated as commodities. According to Thomas, traffickers recruit victims from homeless shelters, hospitals, and public benefits offices, funneling them into unlicensed homes to siphon their Social Security and disability income. Thomas noted that operators often view these individuals as "cash cows," packing 10 to 15 people into a single house to generate thousands of tax-free dollars monthly.
Investigators found evidence of severe neglect and medical hoarding within Ita’s operation. Court records indicate that police recovered more than 100 prescription vials belonging to residents in Ita’s care, many of which were unopened, suggesting critical medications were not being administered. Witnesses stated that workers were paid under the table and instructed to lock residents inside to prevent them from leaving.
Dorinda Adams, former director of the Maryland Office of Adult Services, told reporters that the state’s fragmented regulatory system is ill-equipped to detect these operations. Adams explained that unlicensed homes often "fly under the radar" because agencies lack the staffing capacity for proactive tracking. She cited past instances where surveyors discovered up to 20 seniors living in basements, stripped of their dignity and denied basic care.
Regulatory & Systemic Oversight
The prosecution of Asa Ene Ita exposes a critical gap in Maryland’s elder care infrastructure, where a lack of resources and coordination among state agencies allows unlicensed operators to evade detection. As the state’s population ages and demand for affordable care outstrips supply, this "shadow industry" presents a growing public safety threat that extends beyond financial fraud to life-endangering neglect. While the outcome of this specific case resulted in a conviction, the allegations regarding widespread organized trafficking rings in the sector remain a focus of ongoing scrutiny. It is important to note that all individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
