A Florida healthcare provider will serve time in both state and federal prison after a 7-year-old disabled boy in her care starved to death — while 264 unopened bottles of feeding formula sat inside his home.
Mirlande Moltimer, 49, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, Medicaid fraud, and child neglect. She is the owner of Samaritin Home Health Care in Fort Lauderdale.
The victim: Deonte Atwell, born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, needed a breathing tube, a feeding tube, and round-the-clock skilled nursing care to survive.
Instead of providing that care, prosecutors say Moltimer ran a financial scheme — falsely billing Medicaid over $20,000 for services never provided — while Deonte slowly wasted away.
What investigators found
When a 911 call was finally placed on Christmas night 2023, responders found a devastating scene. Deonte weighed just 7 pounds. His bones were protruding through his skin. Authorities say he had likely been dead for some time before anyone called for help.
Inside the home, investigators recovered 264 unopened bottles of the feeding formula Deonte needed to survive.
The sentence
Broward Circuit Judge Peter Holden ordered Moltimer to serve 20 months in state prison, followed immediately by 16 months in federal prison. She must then complete 7 years of probation and pay over $25,000 in restitution.
Others still face charges
Registered nurse Cassandre Lassegue, 35, faces first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors say she stopped visiting Deonte’s home for up to a year — while still submitting paperwork claiming she had. Deonte’s mother and brother also face first-degree murder charges. Both cases are pending.
The boy’s grandfather, James Graham, pleaded no contest to child neglect in 2025 and received five years of probation.
