Man charged with financially exploiting his elderly father

By Ryan Shiner

A man was charged late Wednesday in Cole County with financially exploiting his elderly father.

Michael Kliethermes was charged with financially exploiting an elderly person and misappropriating funds for a nursing home. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday and a $25,000 bond was set.

His wife, Holly Kliethermes, was charged early Wednesday with financially exploiting an elderly person. Court records show that a warrant was served Thursday and she posted a $25,000 bond. An arraignment in her case is set for 9 a.m. April 26 at the Cole County Circuit Court.

Court documents say the couple took $72,903.59 and didn’t pay for the victim’s nursing home care. 

On Oct. 18, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received a referral alleging financial exploitation, claiming that Michael Kliethermes was not paying for his father’s care at Stonebridge Senior Living.

The probable cause statement says that Michael Kliethermes obtained the power of attorney on Nov. 4, 2021, and the couple started using the account on Nov. 8, 2021, by paying for a bank Visa card and expenses charged to it.

On Nov. 15, 2023, law enforcement interviewed Michael Kliethermes, who allegedly admitted to cashing his father’s tax return checks, but claimed he used it to by his father “goodies,” according to court documents.

Kliethermes claimed he was aware of a $50,000 balance due to the nursing him, the probable cause statement says. When law enforcement told him that $72,000 was taken from his father’s account, Kliethermes blamed his wife, the statement says.

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Man charged with financially exploiting his elderly father