Caregiver sentenced in Md. neglect case

A judge in Frederick has sentenced a former caregiver to three years’ probation and 900 hours of community service for leaving three severely disabled men locked in a car outside a diner while he ate lunch.

Brian Fleming, 47, of Fairfield, Pa., also was fined $900 Wednesday for the three misdemeanor counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult.

Frederick County prosecutors had sought jail time for Fleming, saying he treated the mentally and physically disabled men like dogs.

Judge Theresa Adams agreed but said that Fleming's many supporters, including two Catholic priests, have convinced her that his crime reflected a lapse in judgment. She suspended a nine-year prison sentence in favor of supervised probation.

-- Associated Press