Two caregivers were convicted Tuesday of abusing a mentally handicapped man in September 2007 at a residential facility in Carter County, according to a statement from Attorney General Jack Conway's office.
The incident occurred at Carter County's Community Presence home, which is now closed.
A Carter Circuit Court jury convicted Robert Thompson, 55, of Ironton, Ohio, of knowingly abusing a vulnerable adult, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, the release said.
Michael Yates, 40, of Ashland was convicted of wantonly abusing a vulnerable adult, second-degree wanton endangerment and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.
The jury recommended an eight-year prison sentence for Thompson and three years for Yates. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18.
The charges against Thompson and Yates stem from the abuse of Michael Price, a mentally handicapped adult who was a resident at Community Presence.
"Over the course of an hour-and-a-half, Thompson and Yates, among others, restrained Price, laying on his back and chest and putting him at risk for serious injury or death," the news release said.
Last year, two other defendants —Todd Gribbin of Flatwoods and Earl Pelfrey of Grayson — were sentenced to diversion and ordered never again to work as caregivers because of the abuse of Price.
Not long after the Sept. 20, 2007 incident, Price was a victim of abuse by others at the facility. That incident led to Price's death on Oct. 14, 2007.
Two men pleaded guilty in 2009 in connection with Price's death. Matthew Bortles of Soldier lay on Price's back "for more than 30 minutes using an improper restraint," according to a 2009 article in the Herald-Leader. Price stopped breathing and ultimately died.
Branden Starostka of Grayson reportedly did not intervene, but instead watched television during the incident, according to the article. After Price died Bortles and Starostka tried to conceal the evidence by cleaning up the blood, hiding a bloody pillow and putting a blood-stained washcloth in the washing machine.
Bortles was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 in Carter Circuit Court to intentional abuse of a vulnerable adult and tampering with physical evidence. Starostka was sentenced to five years in prison for wanton abuse of a vulnerable adult and tampering with physical evidence.
Shelley Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's office, said other cases involving the abuse of Michael Price are pending.
