Two more assisted living homes shut down in St. Petersburg

Two more homes for the disabled have been shut down after residents of two others were found living in “deplorable” conditions Thursday.

The St. Pete man who was supposed to be taking care of the mentally disabled adult residents was apparently running the facilities without a license, investigators say.

St. Pete police shut down two of Marcus Anderson's homes Thursday afternoon. There was no running water, no electricity, and mold was present in the homes, according to investigators.

DCF shut down two more homes later that night.

The homes were operated under the business names Tampa Bay Behavioral Health and Touched by Faith.

A former employee told FOX 13 News Anderson's business practices were anything but by the book. She alleges he falsified background checks and pocketed patients’ money.

State records show in 2017 Anderson was cited for problems with background screenings. Last September, St. Pete police arrested him.

Records show he withdrew $21,000 from a patient's account after the patient moved out.

“If it got to the point where they needed socks or toothpaste or soap he would deduct money out of their $54 allowance that was for them and pay for stuff which was needed, that we felt should have already been there for them," the former employee said.

St. Pete police, along with DCF and the Agency for Health Care Administration, are all investigating.

At this time, no charges have been filed against Anderson.