Isiah Favors

Introduction

Isiah Favors, 38, of Buffalo, New York, is a certified nurse aide who was arrested and arraigned on July 22, 2026 on felony charges alleging he sexually assaulted an elderly, mentally disabled resident — a woman suffering from dementia — in her room at the McAuley Residence nursing home in Erie County, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Favors was charged with second-degree rape and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person after an investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He was held on $100,000 bail and faces a maximum of seven years in prison on the top count if convicted. The allegations are unproven, and Favors is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Background Information

Favors worked as a certified nurse aide at the McAuley Residence, a long-term care and subacute care facility in the Town of Tonawanda in Erie County operated within the Catholic Health system. The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after the Tonawanda Police Department reported the matter to the office, according to the AG’s announcement. The alleged victim was an elderly and mentally disabled woman who, because of medical diagnoses including dementia, is described in the charges as incapable of consent. The case is one of the nursing-home abuse prosecutions the unit handles against direct-care workers in New York facilities.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Charged, not convicted. Favors faces second-degree rape and endangerment charges that have not been tested in court; he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the alleged assault occurred on July 7, 2026, at approximately 12:10 a.m., when Favors sexually assaulted the elderly and mentally disabled victim in her room at McAuley Residence by performing oral sex on her. A witness immediately reported the incident to the facility’s management, and the woman was transported to a hospital, where a rape kit test was conducted, the announcement said. The Tonawanda Police Department reported the matter to the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which took over the investigation.

Favors was arrested on July 22, 2026 and arraigned the same day in Tonawanda Town Court on the felony charges — second-degree rape and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. Bail was set at $100,000 cash or a partially secured surety bond, and he was being held pending the case, the Attorney General’s Office said. If convicted on the top count, Favors faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Buffalo’s WKBW and WIVB reported the arraignment and bail the same day, with WIVB noting the alleged assault had taken place “earlier this month.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement with the arrest: “My prayers are with the victim and their family who deserve justice after enduring this horrific crime. My office is conducting a full investigation, and we will use every resource at our disposal to deliver justice in this case and ensure all nursing home residents are kept safe. I thank our partners in law enforcement for their collaboration in this investigation.”

The facility operator responded through a statement to WKBW: Catholic Health said that after the allegation was reported it “immediately removed the accused associate from the facility and alerted law enforcement and the New York State Department of Health,” and that it had “cooperated fully with the investigations.” The company said its priority from the start had been “maintaining the safety, dignity, and well-being of our residents, visitors, and associates.” Buffalo personal-injury attorney Michael Scinta, speaking to WKBW about the case, noted that abuse cases involving residents with dementia are especially difficult because some victims may not be able to fully communicate what happened.

Current Status

Favors has been charged with second-degree rape and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and was held on $100,000 cash bail or a partially secured surety bond following his July 22, 2026 arraignment in Tonawanda Town Court. The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit describes its investigation as ongoing, meaning additional charges or defendants were possible as of the announcement. No plea, trial date, or disposition has been reported in the available coverage; the charges remain unadjudicated and the maximum prison exposure on the top count is seven years.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Favors’ employer removed him from the facility the day the allegation surfaced, ending his direct-care work at McAuley Residence, and the felony charges now stand between him and any future certification work with vulnerable adults. The case also put the facility’s response on the record — the immediate removal, the law-enforcement and state Health Department notifications, and the cooperation pledge — as the benchmark for how Catholic Health handles resident-abuse allegations. For the victim’s family, the AG’s pledge of a “full investigation” defines the road ahead; for Favors, a conviction on the top count carries up to seven years in prison and a rape conviction that would end any path back into a profession that had cleared him to care for the elderly.

Sources

• New York Attorney General’s Office, “Attorney General James Announces Arrest of Buffalo Nursing Home Worker Charged With Sexual Assault of a Vulnerable Resident”, July 22, 2026 — source
• WKBW, “Buffalo nursing home worker charged after allegedly sexually assaulting a resident”, July 22, 2026 — source
• WIVB, “Buffalo nurse aide arrested for sexually assaulting patient”, July 22, 2026 — source