Left: Mirlande Moltimer (Broward County Jail). Right: Deonte Atwell (GoFundMe).
A 49-year-old healthcare company owner in Florida will be splitting time between state and federal prison for her role in the horrific starvation of a 7-year-old boy, who died in his home while "264 unopened bottles" of "feeding formula" sat in the residence.
Mirlande Moltimer on Thursday pleaded guilty to state charges of third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, Medicaid provider fraud, and child neglect.
The state pleas were part of an agreement encompassing both state and federal prosecutions over the death of Deonte Atwell, a disabled child who weighed just 7 pounds when he died on Christmas Day 2023.
Moltimer, the owner of Samaritin Home Health Care, had previously pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of healthcare fraud resulting in death.
Under the terms of the agreement, Broward Circuit Judge Peter Holden ordered Moltimer to serve 20 months in state prison, to be followed immediately by 16 months in federal prison. Following her terms of incarceration, she must complete seven years of state probation and pay more than $25,000 in restitution.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Deonte was diagnosed at birth as a "medically complex child" with thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus. He required a breathing tube, a feeding tube, and "around-the-clock" skilled nursing care to survive.
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.
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