Buckeye Reporter

A former caregiver at a Conneaut retirement community has been sentenced to prison for raping elderly residents, according to an announcement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Wayde Shankle, 36, of Ashtabula, received a sentence of 8-12 years after pleading guilty in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court to two first-degree felony counts of rape. Following his release from prison, he will be required to register as a Tier III sex offender for life.

“This was a horrific case of elder abuse at the hands of a predator masquerading as a protector,” Yost said. “My deepest thanks to the investigators and prosecutors who fought for the victims and brought this abuser to justice.”

Shankle had worked as a nurse aide at Villa at the Lake, where the investigation found he raped two residents. One victim resided in the memory-care unit.

The investigation was conducted by Yost’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with help from the Conneaut Police Department and the FBI. The Ashtabula County Prosecutor’s Office handled prosecution.