2 indicted after patient death

NORWALK — Two women face felonies after a rehab patient's death. The charges relate to an August 2023 death at the former Praxis of the Firelands by Landmark Recovery, at 725 Wessor Ave, in Willard. The facility remains open as a rehab facility today under new ownership, which is unaffiliated with the former facility owner and defendants in the case. The pair of defendants, both former employees at the facility, were indicted on July 18. Kelly J. Quillen, 36, 100 block Overlook Road, Huron, faces the following charges: • One count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony • One count of forgery, a fifth-degree felony • One count of gross patient neglect, a first-degree misdemeanor • One count of tampering with records, a first-degree misdemeanor • One count of patient neglect, a second-degree misdemeanor Quillen's co-defendant, Heather N. Owens, 50, 100 block High St., Bellevue, was indicted on the following charges: • One count of forgery, a fifth-degree felony • One count of gross patient neglect, a first-degree misdemeanor • One count of tampering with records, a first-degree misdemeanor • One count of patient neglect, a second-degree misdemeanor What happened On Aug. 28, 2023, two Willard police officers responded to Praxis of the Firelands by Landmark Recovery, located at 725 Wessor Ave., in Willard shortly after noon for a report of a female patient who was not breathing and had no pulse, according to a Willard police report. When officers arrived, they saw Willard EMS providing chest compressions to the woman on the floor with a CPR device before being transferred to Mercy Hospital in Willard, the report states. The woman was later identified as 29-year-old Samantha Thompson, according to an article by Cleveland19. Staff at the facility reportedly told the officers that they checked on Thompson around 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2023 and she was "found to be fine," the police report states. However, during the next scheduled check, about 30 minutes later, staff allegedly discovered Thompson not breathing. The staff additionally told officers that Thompson was in their facility for "alcohol abuse," the report states. When the officers searched the room where Thompson was found, they reportedly found "no drugs or drug paraphernalia" and that there was nothing to suggest foul play. At approximately 4:30 p.m. on the same day, officers arrived at Mercy Hospital's emergency room, where a "Mercy Police Officer" told them that when they removed the CPR device from Thompson that she had "rigor mortis in her arms," and her body temperature dropped from "98.6 degrees" to "82 degrees," the report states. At the time of Thompson's death, the rehab facility was owned by Landmark Recovery, a Tennessee-based company that offered drug and alcohol treatment programs in several states. According to the police report, Willard police and Lucas County's coroner's office both commented on issues with Landmark. "(A member of) the Lucas County Coroner's Office was present," a Willard police officer wrote. "He was present for our conversation and was informed of the issues that both of our agencies were having with Landmark/Praxis. The officer advised that another Landmark facility had just closed down due to deaths in the facility." It appeared the officer was referring to one of Landmark's Indiana facilities, where three patients died during a single-week span in July 2023, just a month before Thompson's death, according to an article by WTHR-Indianapolis. Landmark Recovery has a message on its website stating that "Landmark Recovery has been sold, and all locations are under new local leadership." In June 2024, the former Landmark Recovery building in Willard was acquired by Seacrest Recovery Centers, a Florida-based company that has substance abuse treatment centers located in Florida, New Jersey and Ohio, and is unaffiliated with Landmark Recovery. Previous allegations According to documents provided to the newspaper, Landmark's Willard location had already been reported to state law enforcement prior to Thompson's death. According to a "fraud intake" form with the Ohio attorney general's office dated July 2022, an FBI agent forwarded a complaint they had received about possible Medicaid fraud and other illegal activity occurring at the facility. Allegations reported to the state office included: • That drugs, including Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid dependence, heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics were being sold at the facility • That prostitution and sexual relations were occurring involving patients and staff; "These allegations have been reported to Willard (police) by former patients," the report states. • That patients' personal belongings were not returned to them regardless of when they left the facility, "even when law enforcement would attempt to mediate the situation." "A lot of the recipients end up at Willard (police) looking for a way back home," the report states. "The referral stated some individuals are from different areas of Ohio and do not have the means to return to get their items back." The attorney general's office report also cites a specific instance where a patient at the facility was allegedly "solicited to buy several types of narcotics from patients and staff, as well as heavily pressured to engage in sexual acts." The report did not indicate who made the original complaint. The attorney general's office report indicated that an FBI agent planned to open an investigation. It was not clear from the records provided if any of the allegations were investigated or substantiated. The complaint referred to the attorney general's office did not mention or accuse Owens or Quillen, specifically, of any wrongdoing. Court hearings hosted On Tuesday, both Owens and Quillen appeared at the Huron County Court of Common Pleas for an arraignment hearing, where they pleaded not guilty and each posted a $10,000 bond. Both Owens and Quillen have an upcoming court hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 8, according to court records.