VALLEY CITY, N.D. (KFGO/NEWSDAKOTA) – A woman found guilty of Aggravated Assault and Reckless Endangerment in September for causing serious injury to a resident at a nursing home she worked at has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The North Dakota Attorney General’s Office said at the trial that Gracious Weah, who was a certified nurse’s aide at Sheyenne Care Center in Valley City, performed an improper, one-person lift of the resident resulting in severe and painful injuries on Oct. 18, 2020.
Evidence also showed Weah failed to report the injury, causing the resident to go untreated for more than 12 hours.
The victim suffered a broken ankle and femur during the incident. She passed away on Apr. 26, 2021.
During the sentencing hearing, Karen Lietz – the daughter of the victim – said the trauma from this incident doesn’t end for her or her family. She said it’s hard to believe someone could do this to her mother or anyone in an assisted living facility.
Weah said the wrong person was prosecuted.
“I would not willfully hurt your mother,” Weah said. “I did not hurt your mother.”
