Jerry Alan Reis, of Sargeant, pleaded guilty in October to one count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. In exchange, one count of theft was dismissed at Wednesday's sentencing in Dodge County District Court. Both are felonies.
The investigation began in November 2016, when a woman reported the possible exploitation of a woman in her 90s.
According to the criminal complaint, the worried woman said Reis had taken over the victim's finances a few months earlier; at the time, her bank accounts contained more than $70,000.
At the time of the report, however, the elderly woman was "continually having overage fees and returned checks," prompting a review of the accounts.
Officials found several cash withdrawals made from the accounts, and a "large amount of purchases," the report says.
It was also discovered that Reis transferred $55,500 from the victim's checking account to his own bank account, and $17,050 from her savings account to his account, the court documents say.
An advocate for the victim provided a spreadsheet of her bank accounts indicating a total of $134,097.33 was allegedly spent "not benefiting" the woman.
The total is the combination of "questionable purchases, checks written by Reis and multiple money withdrawals/transfers from (the victim's) accounts," the complaint says.
The court papers say Reis purchased large amounts — sometimes, hundreds of dollars a day — of "internet tokens from various internet companies," then would transfer the woman's money into his own depleted account.
The online token purchases were reportedly primarily used for various live pornography internet services; his account at the internet companies had a balance of multiple thousands of dollars.
Payment of restitution was reserved.
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Sargeant man sentenced in $130K exploitation of woman
I would like to see a couple of years in jail, but probation for 20 years may ensure that's what he gets down the road.
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