Any read about this story from Philly. The couple that kept 4 people trapped in a basement

[LynneSin]

This is just such a sad story that people would still do this. This couple and their friend kept 4 mentally challenged adults locked up in a basement - some of these people for months. They used them to get their social security checks.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20111018_Woman_who_held_four_in_Philadelphia_cellar_may_have_victimized_dozens__police_say.html?cmpid=125219969

Woman who held four in Philadelphia cellar may have victimized dozens, police say

The woman charged with keeping four adults with mental disabilities locked in a squalid Tacony basement while collecting their Social Security checks may have victimized dozens of others, police said Monday.

When Linda Ann Weston was arrested Sunday, she had identification records for as many as 50 people in her possession, including power of attorney paperwork, forms of identification, and Social Security numbers, according to Philadelphia Police Lt. Ray Evers. The documents suggest that Weston has been running a wide-ranging fraud operation, he said.

<<<<snip>>>>

When Gozleveli searched the basement, he found a door leading to a 10-by-15-foot space with a dirt floor. Inside were makeshift beds with blankets, as well as two small dogs. When Gozleveli shone a flashlight over the blankets, he said Sunday, "People's faces just started coming up."

The men and woman were thin and had bedsores. The room was empty except for the beds, a container of orange juice, and bathroom buckets. At least one of the men was chained to a water heater, police said.

For once I think the punishment should fit the crime - I think these 3 people who did this should be forced to live in a dungeon the same size they used for their prisoners.

:cry:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. These kind of people are the lowest form of scum.

:puke: They have proven themselves incapable of being out amongst society, and need to be put away for good.

[PRETZEL]

2. By the time the invetigation's done

I think we just very well might end up with murder charges from somewhere.

Like you said, over 50 different id's, multiple states.

Not sure if I heard this right this morning on the local news, but I thought I heard where one of the victims (or someone reported missing) was actually the daughter on one of the men arrested?

I don't think this is even remotely close to being finished.

[LynneSin]

3. I read these things and wonder how someone could have absolutely no compassion whatsoever

then I realize that's pretty much the GOP

[PRETZEL]

4. GOP or not,

this is really as low as one can get.

It's just as sad that the of the last 5 people we've hired, 2 of them were hired to do protective services for the elderly.

And I live in one of the better counties in PA.

[mysuzuki2]

5. once upon a time, the social security admin employed

people in most local offices who were called field reps. Among other things, a field rep would visit individuals and institutions who received SS checks for other people. Due to budget and staff cuts over the years, most offices no longer have a field rep. Monitoring such things has become much more lax. Now we see the result

[jwirr]

6. Social Services does that now. But in this case these people may not

have been severe enough to require the visits because I think that was when some other person was receiving their check for them. These people could have been receiving their own checks and the criminals were forging their names or forcing them to sign them.