Osceola couple arrested for running unlicensed assisted living facilities, sheriff’s office says
www.clickorlando.com, Haley Coomes, June 24, 2026
POINCIANA, Fla. – A husband and wife accused of running a network of unlicensed assisted living facilities across Osceola and Polk counties were arrested Wednesday following a yearlong investigation, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said.
Marie Carenan, 56, and Ronald Pack, 60, both of Poinciana, were taken into custody after deputies executed six simultaneous search warrants. A total of 38 residents were removed from the homes and placed into licensed care facilities with help from the Florida Department of Children and Families, the sheriff’s office said.
The couple operated under the name Cherished Home Care, running as many as nine homes at one time with no licenses and no licensed nurses on site — even for bedridden residents.
“It only makes you sick to your stomach when you see and hear what was going on,” Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said in a Wednesday news conference.
The investigation began when a patrol deputy responded to a 911 call at one of the Poinciana facilities and flagged the conditions. The case eventually expanded into Polk County, prompting a joint effort with the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies said.
Carenan and Pack face charges including scheme to defraud, aggravated elder abuse, elder neglect, elder exploitation and welfare fraud. Additional charges are expected.
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