CADILLAC, MI — The administrator of an adult foster care facility in northern Michigan has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the 2022 death of a resident who allegedly never received her prescribed insulin, according to a press release from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Kristi Tucker-Fleischfresser, 39, who served as administrator of Pleasant Lake Lodge in Cadillac, was arraigned on February 24, 2026, before Judge Corey J. Wiggins in the 84th District Court, as reported by the Michigan Attorney General's office. She faces one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony carrying up to 15 years in prison; two counts of falsifying medical records, each punishable by up to four years; and one count of obstructing an investigation, a misdemeanor with a maximum two-year sentence.
According to the Attorney General's office, a 60-year-old woman was admitted to Pleasant Lake Lodge on November 1, 2022, with a diabetes diagnosis and prescriptions for two types of insulin. Just four days later, on the morning of November 5, staff found her deceased in her bed. Prosecutors allege the resident never received any of her prescribed insulin during her stay and died from complications of unmanaged diabetes.
The charges further allege that Tucker-Fleischfresser not only failed to ensure the resident received her life-saving medication but also actively obstructed a subsequent investigation by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs by falsely documenting that the insulin had been administered, according to the state's announcement. The case was originally referred to the Attorney General's office by the Wexford County Prosecuting Attorney and investigated jointly by LARA and the Michigan State Police.
"Adult foster care administrators are entrusted with the lives of vulnerable adults, and failing to provide life-saving medication is unacceptable," Attorney General Nessel said in the press release. "Protecting vulnerable adults continues to be a priority of this department. We hope that cases like this resonate with other facilities to underscore how critical it is that residents receive the care they need — otherwise there will be consequences."
Tucker-Fleischfresser was released on a personal recognizance bond but was ordered to wear a GPS monitoring tether and is prohibited from providing any direct adult foster care services while the case proceeds, according to court records. Her next scheduled court appearances include a probable cause conference on March 3, 2026, and a preliminary examination on March 10, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Division, which serves as Michigan's federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. According to the AG's office, the division receives approximately 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the remaining 25 percent funded by the state.
CMS Inspection History
While Pleasant Lake Lodge operates as an adult foster care home subject to state licensing rather than federal CMS oversight, the charges raise broader questions about care standards at residential facilities across Michigan. Federal data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers a window into the regulated nursing home landscape in the region.
The Laurels of Mt. Pleasant, a 100-bed for-profit skilled nursing facility located approximately 70 miles southeast of Cadillac, holds an overall CMS rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a matching 5-star health inspection score and a 4-star staffing rating, according to CMS records. However, its quality measures rating sits notably lower at just 2 out of 5 stars, suggesting gaps between inspection performance and resident outcome metrics.
CMS records show the facility has accumulated 115 total deficiencies across 16 inspections. During the most recent inspection in July 2024, surveyors cited the facility for failing to reasonably accommodate residents' needs and preferences, as well as deficiencies in its infection prevention and control program — both classified at Severity Level E, indicating a pattern of noncompliance that caused no actual harm but carried the potential for more than minimal harm. A June 2023 inspection found the facility failed to maintain an environment free from accident hazards with adequate supervision, also at Severity Level E.
These deficiency patterns across Michigan's long-term care landscape underscore a recurring concern: the gap between documented care plans and the actual delivery of prescribed medical treatments. Federal regulations require that residents of licensed care facilities receive medications and treatments as ordered by their physicians — a standard that prosecutors allege was fatally violated at Pleasant Lake Lodge.
Ownership & Operations
Pleasant Lake Lodge operated as an adult foster care home, a category of residential facility licensed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs rather than the federal CMS system that oversees skilled nursing facilities. Adult foster care homes in Michigan serve adults who require supervision or personal care but do not necessarily need 24-hour nursing services.
Michigan's adult foster care licensing standards mandate that administrators ensure residents receive medications as prescribed and that accurate medical records are maintained. According to LARA's regulatory framework, administrators bear direct responsibility for the health and safety of every resident in their care. The criminal charges in this case suggest a fundamental breakdown in both of those core obligations.
The for-profit long-term care sector in Michigan encompasses hundreds of facilities operating under various ownership structures, including limited liability companies. Industry oversight involves a patchwork of state licensing agencies and, for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities, federal CMS regulation — a system that advocates have long argued leaves gaps in accountability.
Resources for Families
Families with concerns about the care of a loved one in any Michigan long-term care or adult foster care facility are encouraged to contact the Michigan Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-866-485-9393. The ombudsman program provides free, confidential assistance to residents and their families, including help resolving complaints and understanding residents' rights.
Concerns can also be reported to the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center at 1-800-677-1116 or through their website at [ltcombudsman.org](https://ltcombudsman.org).
If you suspect immediate abuse or neglect at any care facility, contact local law enforcement or Michigan's LARA complaint line. Families should document concerns in writing, request copies of care plans and medication administration records, and consider consulting with an elder law attorney if a loved one has been harmed. Federal and state law protect residents' rights to adequate medical care, and facilities that fail to meet these standards can face both regulatory action and criminal prosecution.
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