ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced a Cherokee County Grand Jury charged Reginald Keith with one count of Racketeering (O.C.G.A. § 16-14-4(a)) and one count of Exploitation of an Elder Person (O.C.G.A. § 30-5-8(a)).

“Elder financial abuse is a tragic and evolving problem in our state, one that is particularly devastating when perpetrated by a family member,” said Attorney General Carr. “We will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute anyone engaging in these criminal activities. The Office of the Attorney General will continue to make it a priority to protect our state's most vulnerable citizens and will be even more focused in the future on ending the scourge of elder abuse in Georgia."

Reginald Keith is the adopted son of the victim in this case, an eighty-nine year old retired U.S. Postal Worker. Over a period of four years, Reginald Keith systematically exploited his father by forging checks in his father’s name and depositing these checks into an account for his own cleaning and contracting business. Mr. Keith ultimately stole $90,000.00 from his father, including funds from a reverse mortgage Mr. Keith helped obtain on his father’s home. Mr. Keith then used these funds for his own living expenses and items for his personal use, including a BMW luxury sports sedan. As a result of Mr. Keith’s actions, his father ultimately lost his home—which prior to the reverse mortgage, had been owned by himself and his wife free and clear.

Assistant Attorney General Amanda E. Love is prosecuting this case in conjunction with Assistant District Attorney John Tully of the Office of the District Attorney, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. The case was previously handled by former Assistant Attorney General Lyndie M. Freeman. The case was investigated by the Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Investigator Lee Thompson with support from Investigator Tish Murray, Investigative Auditor Robert Jones, Nurse Investigator Renee Sherwood, Intelligence Analyst Vanda Russell, former Investigator Jeremy Jefferson and former Investigative Auditor Shanavia Carter.