A jury has convicted Crystal Nasir, 43, of depriving disabled adults of essential services and exploiting a disabled adult after authorities discovered unsanitary and dangerous conditions at an unlicensed care home she operated in Lithonia. The verdict was announced by DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
The investigation began when a 38-year-old man with severe disabilities called police on December 28, 2021. He reported living in a house with several others under poor conditions, including staying in a basement without heat or air conditioning and being surrounded by sewage from an overflowing toilet. He also said he had not received his prescription medication for some time.
On January 4, 2022, police executed a search warrant at the Castle Downs Trace residence owned by Nasir. Officers found extensive filth throughout the home. Dogs were being bred on the property, and dog feces and dirt covered floors, walls, and stairs. Residents walked through the house with feces on their shoes or bare feet.
Disabled adults were found living in rooms with raw mattresses or soiled bedding, and feces was present on the floors. Mold was growing on walls, and one room had a bedbug infestation. In the basement, officers found standing water, mold growth, rat infestation, no heating unit in bedrooms, and temperatures as cold as outside. Residents slept on raw mattresses or with inadequate blankets near a bathroom that was out of order and covered in human waste; they used a bucket as a toilet nearby. One resident told law enforcement that these conditions had persisted for months and provided photos showing even worse circumstances days before the police visit.
Nasir lived in the home herself; her room was cleanest in the house with a well-maintained bathroom. Police found residents’ medications along with their personal papers and financial records stored in her bedroom and office.
Five disabled adults were paying to live at the residence. Among them was a 44-year-old woman who had severe mental health issues; she cleaned the house and cooked for all residents daily but received no compensation for her work over several years.
Following Thursday’s guilty verdicts on October 3, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams sentenced Nasir to 15 years—10 to be served in confinement—with probation for the remainder.
District Attorney Boston stated: "DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by jury trial in the case of a Lithonia woman accused of housing disabled adults in unsanitary conditions and depriving them of proper care."
The Crimes Against Elder Persons and Adults with Disabilities Unit prosecuted this case. Senior Assistant District Attorney Laura Alford led prosecution efforts with support from Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Franklin Engram, Investigator Charles Maupin, Victim Advocate Tina Williamson, and former DeKalb County Police Detective Aria Lynch (now DA’s Office Investigator), who led the initial investigation.