Attorney General Ellison files charges against man who financially exploited his mother

 

Chippewa County man diverted funds from elderly mother’s account for his own use while her nursing home bills went unpaid; case referred to AG Ellison from Chippewa County Attorney

December 9, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has charged Steven Berg with three counts of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. From February 1, 2024 through March 2025, Berg, who served as a power of attorney and co-signor on financial accounts for his mother, M.B., used over $90,000 of M.B.’s money for purposes that did not benefit her. Berg’s scheme included arranging rides for M.B. from her nursing home to the bank that housed her accounts, where Berg would meet M.B. and withdraw thousands of dollars from M.B.’s account. While Berg used these funds for personal purposes, including paying his own property taxes, M.B.’s nursing home bills went unpaid. 

In July 2025, Chippewa County Attorney Matthew Haugen referred the case to Attorney General Ellison’s MFCU under Minnesota Statutes Sec. 8.01, which provides, “Upon request of the county attorney, the attorney general shall appear in court in such criminal cases as the attorney general deems proper.”

“Everyone deserves to afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect, but all too often, financial exploitation robs older Minnesotans of those essentials,” said Attorney General Ellison. “The financial exploitation of vulnerable adults causes severe financial harm that threatens those adults’ ability to keep a roof over their heads, pay medical bills, and so much more. Additionally, these cases often involve a profound betrayal of trust, since that exploitation often comes from someone the vulnerable adult trusted to manage their finances. Steven Berg’s theft from and betrayal of his own mother is appalling, and my office and I will do everything in our power to ensure he faces justice for his crimes.”

The Montevideo Police Department, Chippewa County Social Services, Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit all participated in the investigation of this case.  It is being prosecuted by AG Ellison’s MFCU.

Attorney General Ellison’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works to uncover, investigate, and prosecute individuals or organizations that steal from Medicaid and that exploit, neglect, or abuse vulnerable victims. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,078,704 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,692,898 for FY 2026, is funded by the State of Minnesota.

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Attorney General Ellison files charges against man who financially exploited his mother