Cynthia Barrow, Shyniqua Buckles, Sherrye Huff Arrested For Retirement Elder Abuse

WINTERVILLE, Ga. -- Stolen drugs, money and a beating. That’s what police said went on inside a metro area retirement home.

Three employees of the Winterville Retirement Center are facing multiple felony charges.

The administrator of the retirement home, Sherrye Dianne Huff, was the latest to be arrested.

The Winterville Police Chief told Channel 2’s Diana Davis that Huff admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from two patients.

"I’m appalled that this could happen. I can’t imagine having somebody do this to my family, Vizzini said. ”As you know, leadership works from the top down. If you allow unethical practices you have a slippery slope, he said.

Police said Huff stole $4,000 of pension and Social Security checks from two residents, both brothers, and then cashed them at a Winterville bank drive-through and pocketed the money.

Two of Huff's employees, aides Shaniqua Buckles and Cynthia Ann Barrow, were also charged.

Police said they began their investigation in February when they got a report that Barrow punched an 82-year-old female patient in the face when the resident tried to take food off a cart.

Police said the resident fell and hit her head. She died nine days later.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident.

If the GBI rules the woman died from a blow to the head, charges against Barrow could be upgraded to murder, investigators said.

Shortly after Barrow’s arrest, police said another employee stole and then tried to sell drugs off a medicine cart.

Police confiscated nearly 100 Xanax tablets.

”Ironically, they were the prescription for the woman who had died, Vizzini said.

The police report said Huff admits to stealing the money.

Davis went to Huff’s home, but no one answered the door.

Winterville police told Davis they’ve been inundated with calls from families of other residents complaining about conditions at the retirement center. Those complaints are now under state investigation.

Wednesday afteoon, GA Daily News received a statement from the Winterville Retirement Center, saying, ”The incidents under investigation do not represent the overall quality of care. The behavior alleged is in direct violation of our company policy and we will not tolerate that activity in our workplace.

In the statement, the retirement center also said they ”immediately removed the individuals in question from the workplace to protect our residents. Winterville has a strong reputation for providing a high quality of care and we are committed to that continuing