Consumer Investigation: Continuing to follow the money in the collapse of Family Service of Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Anyone who has packed bins and boxes to move to a new home knows moving is always stressful. So, imagine what it was like for elderly and disabled residents who were told they had less than two weeks to move.
“All I can tell you is it’s very stressful. Very stressful for all the residents. They were made to move in 10 days without any kind of knowing why,” said Bonnie Allsup, a resident.
We now know why. The residents were participants in the Enriched Housing Program. The non-profit running the program, Family Service of Rochester, was supposed to provide support services to elderly and disabled residents, enabling them to live independently in apartments. But the Department of Health says Family Service care was so bad, residents’ health and safety were at risk.
The organization’s 990, the tax form non-profits have to file with the IRS, shows Family Service was financially drowning. In fact, it ended the 2024 fiscal year $650,755 in the red.
For days, News10NBC’s Deanna Dewberry has been trying to follow the money. The 990 shows the CEO was Neil Cavalieri. His LinkedIn page shows up in a Google search, but one click shows his page was recently deleted.
With a search of public records, Dewberry found his cell phone and left a message. He texted this six-word response: “Hi Deanna, I have no comments.”
The 990 lists the entire board of directors. But every board member that Dewberry reached had the same response: no comment.
But one member suggested Dewberry call the board chair, and she reached her at home.
Deanna Dewberry, News10NBC: “This is Deanna Dewberry with News10NBC. I understand you were chair of the board of Family Service of Rochester?”
She said she had no comment. But before letting her go, Dewberry had one question.
Deanna Dewberry: “And I was also told that you all have an attorney. Who would that be?”
She paused, then told Dewberry she had no comment on legal matters.
Deanna Dewberry: “Well you can’t tell me who your attorney is?”
She repeated she had no comment and hung up. But Dewberry won’t stop asking questions, questions raised by the financial forms Family Service gave the IRS.
Participants in the Enriched Housing Program turn over their Social Security and disability checks to the non-profit and the charity provides support services and pays the residents’ rent. But rent payments are $400,000 behind.
We don’t know if there was malfeasance but if an investigation were underway, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would likely handle it because those are federal funds. Dewberry called the U.S. Attorney of Western New York and is still waiting to hear back.
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