West Plains Couple Accused of financially exploiting elderly man

By Nate Hudson 

West Plains, MO. – A West Plains couple has been charged with multiple felonies dealing with the financial exploitation of an elderly man in 2021. 

Edwin Ruther and Lisa Jones are charged with Stealing $25,000 or more and Financial Exploitation of an Elderly/Disabled Person. The charges stem from an investigation performed by the Howell County Sheriff’s Office beginning in 2021. 

A man contacted the Sheriff’s Office stating that Jones and Ruther had potentially taken a large sum of money out of the bank account that he had shared with his late father between June 24 and July 22, 2021. The elderly man had sold land and a house to the couple prior to his death in September 2021. 

The probable cause statement references a $4,500 check that had been written to Jones on June 24, 2021, for the sale of a trailer to the elderly man. It goes on to state that Jones lacked paperwork to back up the sale and that the trailer remained titled in her name. Additionally, a $28,000 telephone transfer was made on July 22, 2021, from the man’s bank account to Jones’. The PC states that Jones initially told authorities it was for a truck to buy but changed it for the care of the elderly man’s horse. 

According to an interview with authorities, Ruther stated he did not know of any further financial agreements between the elderly man outside of the sale of the land and house and denied receiving any payments from him in the form of checks or bank transfers.

The statement says that Jones was arrested on an active warrant through Ozark County during the investigation. An online search of court documents performed by News Team 7 failed to turn up any court cases for Jones through Ozark County. This could be due to a case being sealed or other action.

During this time, the elderly man had rapidly declining health stemming from a diagnosis of high-grade cancer. 

A grand jury indicted the couple earlier this year. Jones has an arraignment scheduled before Judge Steven Privette in Howell County on May 5th. Ruther has been granted a change of judge and the case awaits assignment.

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West Plains Couple Accused of financially exploiting elderly man