Nine Arraigned in Death of 72-Year-Old Nursing Home Resident

State prosecutors have charged two more employees of a Long Island nursing home where a 72-year-old resident died.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says nine people are now facing charges. All nine were arraigned Thursday and all pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from the 2012 death of a patient at the Medford Multicare Center for Living, Inc.

Prosecutors say some staff ignored an alarm that sounded every 15 seconds for more than two hours before the patient died. Others allegedly told investigators the resident's alarms were not beeeping when records showed they were, and some claimed they saw him alive at a time investigators know he was dead.

“The negligence alleged in this case is criminal and will not be tolerated in New York nursing homes,” Schneiderman said. “Today’s indictment sends a clear message: We will arrest those who put our most vulnerable citizens in harm’s way, and in particular those who neglect or deny life-saving medical treatment to patients. We must and will do everything in our power to protect our nursing home residents from abuse.”

Attorney Jonathan Manley represents an employee facing criminally negligent homicide charges. Manley denies his client did anything wrong. He described 61-year-old Kethlie Joseph as a dedicated respiratory therapist.

Manley said it was bad precedent for prosecutors to be filing criminal charges in what he termed an "accidental death."