Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange has announced the arrest of a former Etowah County nursing home employee on a charge that he assaulted a resident of the facility on December 26, 2012.

44-year old James Dean Justice of Altoona was arrested by the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office on July 24 and has been released on bond.

Attorney General Strange’s Office presented evidence to an Etowah County grand jury during its June 2013 term, resulting in Justice’s indictment.

Justice is charged with abuse of a protected person, which is a class C felony, punishable by one to ten years and a fine of up to $15,000.

The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after it received a report from Altoona Health and Rehabilitation, Inc., where Justice had been employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant.

No further information about the investigation or about Justice’s alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictment may be released at this time.