One Year, Restitution in Exploitation Case

A 36-year-old Wahpeton, N.D., woman will serve at least three months in jail after stealing $260,000 from an elderly man she befriended, a prosecutor said.

After pleading guilty in May to charges of exploiting a vulnerable adult, Rhonda Thiel was given a 10-year term with all but one year suspended in a sentencing hearing in Richland County District Court, said Ronald McBeth, Richland County State’s Attorney.

McBeth said Thiel must serve at least 90 days in jail, but she can do the rest of the one-year term while on house arrest.

She was also ordered to make restitution payments to the man’s estate – a lump sum of $10,000 by Sept. 30, $600 a month for 10 years, and mortgage payments on the man’s house.

Thiel will be on supervised probation for 10 years and could have her probation revoked if she doesn’t make the payments, McBeth said.

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One Year, Restitution in Exploitation Case