Knoxville Man Charged with Felony Theft Against Older Individual

By Donna Savits 

In the heart of Knoxville, a shocking case of familial betrayal has come to light, revealing the darker side of trust and responsibility. Sean Gelles, a 26-year-old man, has been charged with felony theft against an older individual after allegedly exploiting his grandfather’s financial resources for personal gain.

According to court records, the troubling events unfolded between March 6 and March 25, 2025. During this period, Gelles is accused of secretly obtaining his grandfather’s debit card and bank account information. In a disturbing breach of trust, he linked this information to his CashApp account, allowing him to siphon funds with alarming ease.

The consequences of Gelles’ actions were substantial. Bank records from Marion County revealed that he made cash transfers to his CashApp account and conducted unauthorized purchases through popular online retailers such as eBay and Amazon. The total amount of cash withdrawals and purchases reached a staggering $11,669.28, leaving his grandfather in a vulnerable financial position.

Gelles now faces serious charges, including First Degree Theft Against an Older Individual, categorized as a Class B Felony. This charge reflects not only the amount stolen but the exploitation of his grandfather’s trust, a factor that weighs heavily in legal proceedings involving elder abuse.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, Gelles is also grappling with a probation violation stemming from an earlier eluding charge from December 9, 2023. His legal troubles paint a grim picture of a young man whose choices have led to severe consequences, not only for himself but for his family.

As the community processes this shocking story, it serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding the financial well-being of elderly individuals. This case underscores the need for vigilance against elder financial abuse, encouraging families to maintain open lines of communication and to monitor financial activities closely.

As the legal proceedings unfold, many are left wondering how someone could betray a family member in such a profound way. The story of Sean Gelles is not just about theft; it’s a cautionary tale of trust broken and the far-reaching impacts of financial exploitation.

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Knoxville Man Charged with Felony Theft Against Older Individual

Rice Woman Found Guilty of Theft While Acting as a Guardian

by Lee Voss

FOLEY -- A Benton County jury has found a Rice woman guilty of illegally obtaining medical assistance while acting as the guardian and conservator for a man who was hurt in a car crash.

Fifty-four-year-old Sheila Burski was also charged with two counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult for taking social security payments intended for that man, 69-year-old Norman Meinert.

Burski was found guilty on all three charges following a three-day trial this week.

Burski was appointed Meinert's guardian in December 2013. She listed Meinert had no assets when filing for medical assistance for him. From 2013 until Meinert's death in the fall of 2017, the county and state paid approximately $132,000 in medical assistance payments.

Upon his death, Burski completed a final accounting of Meinert's estate and court records show several discrepancies, including a real estate sale from Meinert to Burski and her husband in the amount of $510,000 in 2005.

In 2011, records show the contract for deed was satisfied somehow. Based on the monthly payments, Burski would have paid just over $162,000 of the $510,000. It's unknown if the nearly $350,000 remaining on the property was ever paid to Meinert.

The charges alleged Burski didn't disclose the property sale.

The contract for deed was satisfied in 2011 and with Meinert's accident occurring in 2013, the money fell within the 5-year look-back window to disclose assets. It ultimately would have prevented Meinert from qualifying for the medical assistance payments.

Burski was also charged with taking Meinert's social security payments, cashing them through her own bank account and failing to disclose those payments over a three-month span in 2017 prior to Meinert's death.

She'll be sentenced on June 30th. 

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Rice Woman Found Guilty of Theft While Acting as a Guardian

 

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Rice Woman Charged With Felony Theft While Acting as Guardian

 

Power of attorney charged for stealing nearly $250,000 from his mother

LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) — An East Hempfield Township man is charged with stealing nearly $250,000 from his mother while serving as power of attorney when she was in a Lititz assisted-living community.

Officials say Jeffrey S. Weit made 237 transactions from his mother’s account, since 2013, which police determined were for Weit’s personal use, including business expenses and continued making withdrawals from the account even after her death in February 2019.

Lititz Borough police charged Weit with two counts of felony theft.

Weit surrendered Wednesday morning at District Judge Edward Tobin’s office where he was arraigned on the felonies and set bail at $200,000 unsecured.

Police became aware of the thefts when family reported the mother’s balance owed to Luther Acres was overdue.

Detectives found that Weit used $248,855 for personal expenditures and neglected to make regular payments to Luther Acres for his mother’s care. Police found 73 late or non-payments to Luther Acres since she moved there in 2013. At one point, in 2018, there was an outstanding balance over $200,000 owed to Luther Acres.

Earlier this month in Lancaster County, a woman was charged with stealing about $100,000 from her father while she was power of attorney and he was staying at an Elizabethtown care home.

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Power of attorney charged for stealing nearly $250,000 from his mother

Mankato woman charged with grifting $36K from vulnerable adults

MANKATO — A Mankato woman was charged with felony theft, financial exploitation and credit card fraud after she allegedly stole more than $36,000 from two vulnerable adults.

Roberta Kaye Johnson, 68, is accused of spending thousands of dollars through the victims’ Discover Card account starting in August 2018 to feed a gambling habit, according to court complaint in Blue Earth County District Court.

In addition, Johnson allegedly took almost $22,000 out of a bank account in the victims’ name to cover the credit card debt with slightly more than $15,000 left to pay on the card.

Mankato police received a tip in July from Blue Earth County staff who were concerned the victims were being financially exploited. Staff had contacted Discover Card’s legal team and reviewed the victims’ financial statements, where they found the increasing credit card debt.

The victims told police they paid their own bills with the help of Johnson’s spouse and didn’t use the card. Police visited Johnson and her spouse in August, where Johnson told police she had used the card to cover gambling debts and intended to pay the debt back, court records said.

Police later found Johnson had allegedly used one of the victims’ bank accounts to cover the credit card debt. Detectives found Johnson had deposited $150 into the bank account in April and had paid $525 toward the credit card.

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Mankato woman charged with grifting $36K from vulnerable adults

Rice Woman Charged With Felony Theft While Acting as Guardian

FOLEY -- The Benton County Attorney's Office has charged a Rice woman with illegally obtaining medical assistance while acting as the guardian and conservator for a man who was hurt in a car crash.

Fifty-two-year-old Sheila Burski is also charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult for allegedly taking social security payments intended for that man, 69-year-old Norman Meinert.

The felony charges show Burski was appointed Meinert's guardian in December 2013. She listed Meinert had no assets when filing for medical assistance for him.  From 2013 until Meinert's death in the fall of 2017, the county and state paid approximately $132,000 in medical assistance payments.

Upon his death, Burski completed a final accounting of Meinert's estate and court records show several discrepancies, including a real estate sale from Meinert to Burski and her husband in the amount of $510,000 in 2005. In 2011, records show the contract for deed was satisfied somehow. Based on the monthly payments, Burski would have paid just over $162,000 of the $510,000. It's unknown if the nearly $350,000 remaining on the property was ever paid to Meinert.

The charges allege Burski didn't disclose the property sale. The contract for deed was satisfied in 2011 and with Meinert's accident occurring in 2013, the money fell within the 5-year look-back window to disclose assets and ultimately would have prevented Meinert from qualifying for the medical assistance payments.

Burski is also accused of taking Meinert's social security payments, cashing them through her own bank account and failing to disclose those payments over a three-month span in 2017 prior to Meinert's death.

Burski is due back in court April 24th.

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Rice Woman Charged With Felony Theft While Acting as Guardian