In November 2025, prosecutors in two states announced the convictions of nursing home aides for sexually abusing residents in their care. In Vermont, a former licensed nursing assistant was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison. In New York, a jury convicted a former aide of crimes involving two residents with disabilities. Both cases were brought by state Medicaid Fraud Control Units, which prosecute patient abuse as well as fraud.
Vermont: a 12-to-20-year sentence
On November 10, 2025, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced that Paul A. Williams, also known as Anthony L. Williams, 60, had been sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison. According to the office, he was a licensed nursing assistant at a nursing home in Morrisville, and was convicted of Caregiver Sexual Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult, a felony.
The sentence was imposed in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division, by Judge Justin Jiron. The court also ordered him to have no contact with the victim or the victim’s family. The case was investigated by the Morrisville Police Department and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit, which prosecuted it.
The release notes that the unit receives most of its funding from the federal government, with the state paying the rest. It also lists Vermont Adult Protective Services at 800-564-1612 for people who want to report suspected abuse of a vulnerable adult.
New York: a jury verdict involving two residents
On November 19, 2025, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that a Nassau County jury had convicted Phillip Harris, 43, of Central Islip. According to the release, he began working as an aide at a rehabilitation and nursing facility in Glen Cove in late December 2021.
The attorney general’s office said the case involved two residents with disabilities in March 2022. One resident told his wife and daughter, who alerted police and the facility. The office said the facility’s own inquiry then uncovered the second assault. The jury convicted him of:
- Three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, a felony
- Two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person, a felony
- Two counts of forcible touching, a misdemeanor
- Two counts of willful violation of the public health laws, a misdemeanor
The jury acquitted him of three counts of falsifying business records. The release said he faced 1⅓ to 4 years in prison for each victim and that sentencing was set for December 19, 2025. The case was investigated by the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with help from the Glen Cove Police Department and the New York State Department of Health.
Every nursing home resident deserves high-quality care and should be able to trust that their caregivers will treat them with dignity and respect.
What these cases have in common
In both cases, residents depended on staff for daily care. In New York, the case began when a resident was able to tell his family, and family members went to police and the facility. Many residents cannot do that. People living with dementia, stroke or other conditions may not be able to describe what happened, which is one reason federal rules require nursing homes to report abuse allegations to state officials within 2 hours.
Both cases were brought by fraud units that sit inside attorney general offices. These units are funded mostly by the federal government and have authority to prosecute abuse and neglect of residents in facilities that receive Medicaid funds.
The convictions concern the individual aides. Neither announcement said that either facility was charged with wrongdoing. Whether a facility may be civilly responsible in any case depends on the facts, including what it knew and how it hired, trained and supervised staff. Our nursing home sexual abuse page explains how those questions are reviewed.
What this means for survivors and families
A criminal case can hold an abuser accountable, but it is separate from any civil claim a survivor or family may have. Deadlines for civil claims vary by state, and a lawyer can review the specifics. You can learn more in our sexual assault and abuse section.
This article is general information about how these cases work. It is not legal advice, it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no two claims are alike. If something here sounds like your situation, the useful next step is a conversation about the facts.
