Left: Mirlande Moltimer (Broward County Jail). Right: Deonte Atwell (GoFundMe).
A Florida woman, owner of a healthcare company, is facing time in both state and federal prisons for her involvement in the tragic starvation of a 7-year-old boy. The boy died in his own home while surrounded by “264 unopened bottles” of “feeding formula.”
Mirlande Moltimer, aged 49, admitted guilt on Thursday to a range of state charges including third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, Medicaid provider fraud, and child neglect.
The plea deal covers both state and federal legal proceedings related to the heartbreaking death of Deonte Atwell. Deonte, a disabled child, weighed a mere 7 pounds when he tragically passed away on Christmas Day 2023.
Moltimer, who ran Samaritin Home Health Care, had also confessed to a federal charge of healthcare fraud that led to death.
As per the agreement, Broward Circuit Judge Peter Holden has sentenced Moltimer to 20 months in state prison, which will be immediately followed by 16 months in federal prison. Upon completing her prison terms, she will be on state probation for seven years and is required to pay over $25,000 in restitution.
Previously reported by Law&Crime, Deonte was born with serious medical conditions, including thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus. He depended on a breathing tube, a feeding tube, and needed “around-the-clock” skilled nursing care for survival.
Authorities alleged that instead of providing the required care, Moltimer engaged in a lucrative financial scheme while the boy wasted away.
While the child was actively starving, Moltimer falsely assured state agencies that there were no issues or gaps in providing Deonte with the around-the-clock care he required. However, prosecutors said that Moltimer and her employee, 35-year-old registered nurse Cassandre Lassegue, fraudulently billed Medicaid numerous times for over $20,000 in services the child never received.
When a 911 call was finally placed on Christmas night reporting “respiratory distress,” responding authorities discovered a catastrophic scene. Investigators determined that the victim”s “bones were protruding through gaping holes in his skin” and that he “died of severe malnutrition,” having likely been “dead for quite some time” before emergency services were notified. It was further alleged that Deonte died amid “a scheme to defraud Medicaid.”
After Deonte’s death, authorities recovered “264 unopened bottles” of “feeding formula” from inside his Fort Lauderdale home on Southwest 11th Street, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office previously said.
Several other co-defendants are still moving through the criminal justice system. Lassegue, the registered nurse who was supposed to provide the in-home medical care, faces charges of first-degree murder, third-degree felony murder, aggravated manslaughter, and Medicaid fraud.
Authorities alleged that Lassegue completely stopped visiting the home for a period of six months to a year, despite submitting written documentation claiming she had performed the visits. Her case remains pending.
The boy’s mother, 38-year-old Michelle Doe, and his brother, 22-year-old Tyreck Irvin, are also facing first-degree murder charges among other counts. Their cases are currently pending.
The boy’s grandfather, James Graham, resolved his involvement in the case in 2025 by pleading no contest to child neglect and failure to report child abuse, resulting in a sentence of five years of probation.
