Omaha woman sentenced in financial exploitation of vulnerable adult case

by Jake Anderson

OMAHA, Neb. —  An Omaha woman accused of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult was convicted and sentenced in the case.

Andrea Heim was found guilty of misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking, according to court documents.

She was sentenced to 18 months of probation in the case. As part of a plea agreement, an abuse of a vulnerable adult charge was dismissed, court documents state.

Heim and Patrick Thornton, a couple who lived together, were "assigned caretakers" who received the adult into their home in March 2025.

Although the couple received a monthly stipend of $755 to offset the adult's room and board costs, investigators reported finding bank records totaling over $2,500 in unauthorized purchases on the adult's personal debit card. 

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Omaha woman sentenced in financial exploitation of vulnerable adult case

Former caregiver accused of exploiting vulnerable man for DoorDash, rent payments

by Megan Brugger

VERNAL, Utah (KUTV) — A former caregiver to a man needing 24/7 assistance was arrested after she allegedly used his credit card for thousands of dollars worth of unauthorized purchases.

Kimberlee Marie Kelly, 25, was arrested on suspicion of intentional financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, a third-degree felony; unlawful acquisition/possession/transfer of a financial card, a third-degree felony; and unlawful use of a financial card, a third-degree felony.

A detective with the Vernal Police Department began investigating the case on Oct. 30, 2024. The initial report indicated that nearly $4,000 had been spent in unauthorized DoorDash transactions.

The victim, who has limited capacity to manage his finances, "is only allowed one supervised DoorDash order per week," the affidavit states. "[The victim] does not have a DoorDash account and relies on staff members to facilitate these transactions."

Additionally, two rent payments for Kelly and her sister had been made using the victim's card. The charges were later disputed and refunded.

The detective interviewed the sister, who said the rent was paid by what she believed was Kelly's credit card.

"[The sister] remained adamant she never had access to [the victim's] card or used DoorDash," the affidavit states.

Kelly reportedly initially avoided police contact and denied helping her sister pay rent, despite statements and records indicating otherwise.

According to the affidavit, Kelly then claimed the victim authorized her to use his card via a handwritten note he signed. The detective, however, said the note was dated before her employment.

Kelly later denied seeing or using the card herself, and denied remembering the note.

"Kimberlee also claimed other staff had used [the victim's] card for DoorDash, and she stopped doing so once told not to," the affidavit states.

The property manager from where the rent was paid confirmed that both transactions originated from the victim's account and were processed through the sisters' rental portals.

Kelly was placed into custody on Tuesday and booked into the Uintah County Jail. 

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Former caregiver accused of exploiting vulnerable man for DoorDash, rent payments 

Iowa woman charged with criminal sexual conduct, exploitation after relationship with care home client

By KAALTV

(ABC 6 News) – A Cresco woman faces criminal charges after allegedly conducting a relationship with a care home resident.

Dawn Isom, 46, is scheduled to appear in Fillmore County Court May 8 on charges of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct–prohibited occupational relationship; 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct–prohibited occupational relationship; and financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

In February of this year, ABC 6 News reported on a maltreatment report at Harmony Place Assisted Living, a dementia care facility, where a staff member had engaged in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable adult living there.

The Minnesota Department of Health concluded that the relationship had been inappropriate, as had the assisted living facility’s decision to add the relationship to the resident’s care notes, rather than forbidding it.

According to court documents, the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office received another report in September of 2024, alleging that Dawn Isom, the staff member in question, was misusing the vulnerable adult’s funds.

Court documents filed in Fillmore County Court detail the alleged sexual relationship from June to September of 2024.

The relationship allegedly ended because the facility had come under new management and because a nurse who knew the resident was considered a vulnerable adult had told coworkers she was filing a MAARC report.

Court documents also allege that the resident had given Isom between $600 and $3,000 in cash.

Isom later denied any sexual conduct to law enforcement, according to court documents.

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Iowa woman charged with criminal sexual conduct, exploitation after relationship with care home client

Assisted living worker stole heirlooms from patients, then pawned them, VT official says

By Julia Marnin

The daughter of a Vermont assisted living facility patient noticed that her parent’s missing heirloom jewelry had vanished last year. 

The family found the jewelry at a local pawn shop, where an employee of Maple Ridge Memory Care in Essex Junction had pawned it off, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Essex Junction is about a 210-mile drive northwest from Boston. 

Lilac Rain Brown-Fisher, the facility’s former activities director, has been sentenced after she was accused of stealing “valuable” heirlooms from multiple clients, the attorney general’s office said in a Jan. 2 news release. 

Brown-Fisher, 29, of Essex Junction, was sentenced to up to five years in prison, which the judge suspended for a term of probation due to her “prompt acceptance of responsibility,” the office said. 

On Nov. 21, she agreed to plead guilty to felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, according to officials. 

Brown-Fisher’s defense attorney and Maple Ridge Memory Care didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on Jan. 2. 

At her sentencing, four victims’ family members spoke about the “severe” impacts caused by the thefts of their loved ones’ valuables, according to the attorney general’s office. 

“My (mother’s) ring is gone and there’s no getting it back,” one family member said in court. “My heart is sick that I can’t pass it down to her beloved granddaughter.” 

After the daughter of one of the Maple Ridge residents noticed her parent’s jewelry was gone in February, it was located at Vermont Coin and Jewelry, which is about a 10-mile drive southwest from the facility, the attorney general’s office said. 

The Essex Police Department, which was alerted to the theft, learned the jewelry was stolen by Brown-Fisher after detectives watched Maple Ridge’s surveillance footage, according to the attorney general’s office. 

An investigation “revealed several more instances of theft by Brown-Fisher, but those heirlooms had already been disposed of by the pawn broker,” the office said. Brown-Fisher was charged with felony grand larceny, felony larceny from a person and felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult in March, according to officials. 

She initially pleaded not guilty to those charges that month, officials said. 

Brown-Fisher made local news in 2020, when Vermont State Police arrested her on multiple charges, including driving under the influence, the Saint Albans Messenger reported. 

Brown-Fisher was seen speeding near Saint Michael’s College in Colchester at about 1:40 a.m. on March 6, 2020, according to the newspaper, citing state police. 

A trooper said they saw her drive 91 mph in a 45 mph zone, then pulled her over and learned she was intoxicated from alcohol, the newspaper reported. 

As part of Brown-Fisher’s sentence in the theft case, she owes restitution to her victims, is banned from caring for vulnerable adults and has to do a restorative justice program that involves completing 200 community service hours, according to the attorney general’s office. 

The office encourages reporting any suspected exploitation, neglect or abuse to authorities. 

In Vermont, “elder exploitation, neglect and abuse” can be reported over the phone to the state’s Adult Protective Services at 800-564-1612 and through the state’s online Medicaid Fraud Report Form.

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Assisted living worker stole heirlooms from patients, then pawned them, VT official says

See Also:
Former Maple Ridge employee sentenced for exploitation of vulnerable adults

Lakeville man accused of convincing neighbor with dementia to adopt him, then stealing at least $1M

Joseph Robinson is charged in federal court in a case involving the "staggering apparent financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult."

Source:
Lakeville man accused of convincing neighbor with dementia to adopt him, then stealing at least $1M

Dodge Center woman fails to appear at first financial exploitation hearing; arrest warrant issued

By KAALTV

(ABC 6 News) – A Dodge Center woman failed to appear in Dodge County Court Wednesday, Nov. 1, on a charge of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Michelle Renae Jefferson, 47, is accused of stealing money from a senior for whom she serves as power of attorney. 

Dodge County Court issued a warrant for Jefferson’s arrest Thursday, Nov. 2.

According to court documents, Dodge County law enforcement received a report from the MN Adult Abuse Report Center, in which the senior alleged that he was missing money from a settlement, and that checks he had not written or signed had been cashed.

According to the report, the man stated that he received monthly spending money, but Jefferson was in control of his debit card and knew the PIN number for it.

He also described the bill allocations between him and Jefferson.

According to the report, the man’s banking account indicated that the debit card had been used at Truckin America, Kwik Trip, the Dodge Center Kwik Trip ATM, and Austin’s Walmart.

The man reported that he had not used his debit card at an ATM, did not know what purchases had been made at the stores, and denied giving Jefferson permission to make online transfers.

In March, an Adult Protection social worker met with Jefferson, who allegedly said the senior was reimbursed in case for any bills he paid.

Jefferson also told the social worker that the senior had agreed to help her “when she was in a financial bind,” but did not say how much the man had loaned her, when the loan had taken place, or “the duration of payback,” according to court documents.

In April, Dodge County law enforcement received more information from the social worker, who said the senior said he remembered that Jefferson had asked to take money from his account, but did not say what it would be used for.

He did not recall her asking for money “due to a financial bind,” according to court documents. 

According to court documents, law enforcement identified roughly $40,200 in unaccounted transactions Jefferson had made from the senior’s bank account between 2014 and the beginning of 2023.

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Dodge Center woman fails to appear at first financial exploitation hearing; arrest warrant issued

Woman accused of spending thousands of elderly father’s money on trips, cosmetic surgery

Athena Crane Monson, 54, was arrested by South Jordan police on Tuesday. (File photo/KSL TV)

BY PAT REAVY

SOUTH JORDAN — A woman accused of spending tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands of dollars of her elderly father’s retirement money on items such as airfare, travel and cosmetic surgery has been arrested.

Athena Crane Monson, 54, was arrested by South Jordan police on Tuesday at the Salt Lake International Airport as she returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, and was booked into jail for investigation of five counts of intentional financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, five counts of theft and communications fraud.

The investigation began in January when police received a tip from Adult Protective Services that an elderly man with dementia was being defrauded by his daughter, according to a jail booking affidavit. Monson had obtained power of attorney over her father’s finances “and was using his bank account for her personal gain,” the affidavit states. “It was also reported a reverse mortgage was taken out on (the father’s) home and a lump sum was given to an unknown party.”

The father received approximately $3,000 per month in Social Security, insurance accounts and a Roth IRA, police say.

In January 2021, the father’s bank account had $60,000 in it. “At the end of April (2021), the total amount in the account was $32,055,” according to the affidavit. “From the months of May-June (2021) the account was charged $8,000 dollars. Multiple transactions were made at ATMs in Las Vegas and some money was moved into a Venmo account amounting to $1,600 dollars. At the end of June (2021), the total amount in the account was $8,700.”

Also in June 2021, the father received a deposit of $71,000 from a reverse mortgage. In just one month, from June 22, 2021, through July 20, 2021, there were 139 charges totaling more than $22,000 made to the account, the affidavit states.

“Again there are multiple transactions relating to purchasing plane tickets from Delta Air Lines, Venmo transactions and ATM withdrawals and purchases in Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada,” the affidavit states.

From July 21, 2021, through Aug. 20, 2021, there were 236 charges made to the account totaling more than $32,000, according to police. Some of those charges included purchases in New York and California and $13,000 at a cosmetic surgery company in Cottonwood Heights, according to the affidavit.

“In total, the amount of money used in 2021 for travel, Venmo, Vincent Surgical Arts, hotels and ATM withdrawals was $275,492.68,” the affidavit states.

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Woman accused of spending thousands of elderly father’s money on trips, cosmetic surgery

Elderly Maryland woman scammed out of nearly $2M

By Lexi Lonas

An elderly woman was scammed out of almost $2 million by a person she trusted with the finances of her estate.

Helen Nutt hired Jonathan Robbins when she was 88 years old to handle her accounts and estate over a six-year period but ended up losing $1.8 million, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, according to Fox 5. 

Robbins was taken into custody on Friday after he was found guilty of two counts of misappropriation by a fiduciary, two counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and two counts of theft.

Robbins used the money he stole for a variety of things, including moving to a mansion in Potomac, according to the local outlet. 

Nutt died a couple of years ago, but McCarthy said her story should be used to warn people in the future.

"Try to make sure there’s some kind of a balance, a check and balance in the way your estates are set up. There was no check or balance here," McCarthy said.

Robbins will be sentenced in a few weeks but could face up to 45 years in prison for his crimes. 

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Elderly Maryland woman scammed out of nearly $2M

Rochester Woman Admits to Taking Elderly Mother’s Money

by Andy Brownell

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman is scheduled to be sentenced in April for taking money from her elderly mother's bank account for her personal use.

67-year-old Anne Reick today admitted to a single count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult through a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of four other felony charges. The charges were filed against the Rochester woman in November 2018 following an investigation into withdrawals from her mother's account between January 2016 and December 2017.

Reick's mother was living in a nursing home at the time and was classified as a vulnerable adult. The criminal complaint indicated Reick had control of the older woman's finances and the investigation determined she took about $22,000 from her bank account.

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Rochester Woman Admits to Taking Elderly Mother’s Money

Caregiver arrested on charges of financial exploitation

By Ashlynd Huffman

Ashlynd Huffman/ Stillwater News Press The Payne County Courthouse.

A Stillwater caregiver is being accused of pawning a gaming system that belonged to a client.

Richard Allen Foster Jr., 38, of Stillwater, was charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

On March 11, Stillwater Officer John Stanbery responded to the Community Access office regarding a larceny investigation.

Community Access is a company that provides live-in care for developmentally disabled individuals.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the program coordinator, Jason Grant, reported a Nintendo gaming system was stolen from a client. The gaming system was valued at $250.

Grant said Community Access is the legal financial representative for the victim, and the victim’s mother is the legal guardian for the victim.

Stillwater Officer David Adney Conducted an investigation into the incident,

“The investigation revealed Foster pawned the gaming system on Jan. 14, 2020 at EZ Pawn,” Adney alleged in the affidavit.

The affidavit said Foster claimed to have owned the gaming system for a year.

On April 20, Adney made contact with Foster by phone and interviewed him regarding the stolen gaming system.

According to the affidavit, Foster said he purchased the gaming system from the victim and then pawned it for $50.

“Foster admitted he was not supposed to enter into any financial agreement with a client who was developmentally disabled,” Adney alleged.

The affidavit said Foster attempted to rationalize his actions and said, “everyone is doing it, they just don’t get caught.”

Officer Adney said based on the investigation it is evident Foster took advantage of his position as a caretaker.

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Caregiver arrested on charges of financial exploitation

Woman pleads guilty to financial exploitation

Dolores Tritle

An Owatonna woman charged with stealing several thousand dollars over eight months from a woman she knew pleaded guilty Wednesday in Freeborn County District Court to one count of gross misdemeanor financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Dolores Tritle, 53, pleaded guilty to taking $7,330 from the woman, who reportedly lived at a local nursing home at the time and needed 24-hour care. Tritle was her power of attorney.

Freeborn County Attorney David Walker said Tritle had paid back about $5,012 prior to making the plea, and when she pleaded guilty she paid back an additional $2,000.

Court documents state Tritle was charged after a detective received a referral for investigation on a case involving potential financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult in June 2017.

Court documents state 16 withdrawals from the alleged victim’s account corresponded with deposits into Tritle’s account.

Tritle is slated to be sentenced July 5. She will be required to pay back the remaining $318 in restitution as part of her sentence, Walker said.

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Woman pleads guilty to financial exploitation

Son pleads guilty to his role in exploiting mother's estate for $340,000

MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — Michael Scott Christie, 63, of Lame Deer, Montana, pleaded guilty Monday in Chippewa County District Court to two felony charges of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult for his role in taking $340,000 from the estate of his mother.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for Oct. 31.

Christie's wife, Martina Annette Christie, 61, faces 12 felony charges for alleged financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. She made her first court appearance earlier this month.

The charges allege that the couple exploited $340,000 from the estate of Michael Christie's mother.

They allegedly used more than $40,000 of her financial resources for their own lifestyles. Court documents also allege that Michael Christie transferred two parcels of Chippewa County farmland worth a combined $300,000 to Martina Christie for consideration of less than $500.

Michael Christie's mother died in February 2015.

Prior to that, the Clarkfield woman was evicted from the Clarkfield Care Center for non-payment in late 2014 and accumulated over $72,000 in expenses.

The criminal complaint says Michael and Martina Christie paid the Care Center only $200 during that period, while they spent over $6,000 on clothing for themselves and wrote themselves $6,000 worth of checks.

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Son pleads guilty to his role in exploiting mother's estate for $340,000

Northfield vulnerable adult to receive restitution for stolen funds

A Morristown woman has been convicted of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, currently residing at Three Links Care Center in Northfield.

Loretta Anne Fossum, 55, was charged with theft by temporary control and financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, both felonies. The maximum sentence was up to 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both.

The theft by temporary control charge was dismissed, though, and Fossum was only convicted of the financial exploitation. Her sentence is 60 days in Dakota County Jail, but she will serve it under work release, according to the sentencing order from Dakota County Judge Thomas Pugh. Fossum had credit for one day of time served at the time of the Nov. 2 sentencing order.

Fossum has also been ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $4,580, as determined by Dakota County Community Corrections. The agency’s review found that Fossum made $7,900 in purchases using the victim’s checking account, and she deposited $3,320 in cash into the victim’s account. The deposits were subtracted from the purchases to determine the final restitution amount.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court:

In September 2015, Northfield Police officers received a report of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult at an assisted living facility in Northfield. Staff of the facility told police one of the residents had an individual with power of attorney who was not paying bills and completing paperwork for the resident.

Staff identified the power of attorney as Fossum, and said after contacting the banks, they had found a large number of transactions made on the resident’s account while she was at the facility — since May 2015.

The unidentified victim told police she had not authorized Fossum to pay for any additional items. The victim said Fossum renovated her bathroom in her townhouse while she was in the facility due to an injury. She said Fossum has been residing at her townhome.

After examining the bank records, officers noted approximately $2,500 in hardware store sales, $2,500 in ATM withdrawals, in addition to transactions at convenience stores, liquor stores, restaurants and cell phone payments.

Officers also found a transaction in which Fossum rented a floor sander, which was paid for using a debit card under the victim’s name and had been signed by the victim.

After speaking to Fossum, she told police she had been paying the victim’s bills and had access to her account. She said she had spent some of the money getting the victim’s townhouse ready for her to return home.

She also admitted to using some of the victim’s money to pay for expenses for her home improvement business, but claimed she was also paying it back.

Specifically, Fossum said she spent $850 on a bed, chair lift and wheel chair. But officers pointed out that an additional $1,700 was unaccounted for. Fossum said she could not remember what it was used for.

Fossum eventually admitted that approximately $1,500 was spent on projects at other people’s homes, and that she had used some money for her own cell phone bill, trips to the liquor store and internet service. She said she had been paying it back, but probably still owed the victim roughly $3,000.

In addition to her work release jail sentence and restitution payments, Fossum was ordered to pay upwards of $600 in court fees, perform 30 hours of community service and is required to serve five years of probation.

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Northfield vulnerable adult to receive restitution for stolen funds

Morristown woman pleads guilty

A Morristown woman pled guilty yesterday to Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult.  Northfield police were called to Three Links Care Center in September of last year on report of a resident’s Power of Attorney not paying the bills.  53 year old Loretta Anne Fossum was accused of bilking an elderly Northfield woman out of thousands of dollars over a nearly 2 year period.   

According to a source, Fossum moved into the woman’s home on Meldahl Lane in April of 2014 and started using her bank card for personal purchases soon after.   In October of 2014, Fossum closed the victim’s bank account and opened a new one adding her name.  In the Spring of 2015, the victim moved to Three Links. Fossum continued to live in the victim’s home but stopped paying the bills.  In September of 2105, she convinced the victim to make her Power of Attorney.  By October, debt collectors were calling the victim’s grandson.  Fossum faces up to 5 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 in fines.  Her sentencing is scheduled for November 2nd.  FossumLorettacomplaint (1)

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Morristown woman pleads guilty

Amundson wants jury to hear exploitation case

Jeffery Amundson, the former president of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a vulnerable adult, will take his case to trial.

He was charged in January 2015 with four counts of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The trial is slated to begin Monday in Olmsted County District Court.

The charges against Amundson, 46, were filed after an employee at a licensed group home in Rochester told authorities that Amundson had been spending the victim's money on himself, and the victim was receiving only $20 per month.

That prompted authorities to gather the victim's financial records from 2010-2013. An analysis of those records revealed numerous suspicious debit card purchases, including many restaurant and online purchases, as well as cash withdrawals by Amundson, court documents say.

When questioned by authorities, Amundson denied stealing the funds, claiming the victim owed him $20,000 because he had "paid for the victim's apartment and helped him get Social Security benefits and medical assistance," according to the complaint.

Amundson had once reportedly told staff with Olmsted County Adult Protective Services that the victim owed him $50,000.

Court documents itemize more than $18,500 spent by Amundson from January 2011 through December 2013.

He told investigators, however, that he'd been taking money for about a year, tracking the amount, but said a fire destroyed the paperwork that documented it.

According to the complaint, Amundson said he had "gotten behind" and paid a lot of overdraft fees.
Amundson alleged the victim's social worker told him to "draw down the account every month;" the social worker denied saying that.

The RSOC placed Amundson on paid leave Feb. 1, 2015, and announced he would no longer be actively involved in the organization, adding that its own financial integrity had not been compromised.

Board members moved him to unpaid status two months later "due to the uncertainty of the date of resolution of the case and to conserve the symphony's funds." Amundson had been with the organization since April 2011.

The RSOC assured its members that its own financial information is reviewed on a monthly basis. Those have never revealed any "financial irregularities," the board says.

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Amundson wants jury to hear exploitation case

Complaint: Morristown woman charged after spending vulnerable adult's money

A Morristown woman is facing multiple felonies after police say she spent the money of an assisted living resident without her permission.

Loretta Anne Fossum, 55, is charged with theft by temporary control and financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, both felonies. If she is convicted of the maximum, she faces up to 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court:

In September, Northfield Police officers received a report of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult at an assisted living facility in Northfield. Staff of the facility told police one of the residents had an individual with power of attorney who was not paying bills and completing paperwork for the resident.

Staff identified the power of attorney as Fossum, and said after contacting the banks, they had found a large number of transactions made on the resident's account while she was at the facility - since May 2015.

The unidentified victim told police she had not authorized Fossum to pay for any additional items. The victim said Fossum renovated her bathroom in her townhouse while she was in the facility due to an injury.

She said Fossum has been residing at her townhome.

After examining the bank records, officers noted approximately $2,500 in hardware store sales, $2,500 in ATM withdrawals, in addition to transactions at convenience stores, liquor stores, restaurants and cell phone payments.

Officers also found a transaction in which Fossum rented a floor sander, which was paid for using a debit card under the victim's name and had been signed by the victim.

After speaking to Fossum, she told police she had been paying the victim's bills and had access to her account. She said she had spent some of the money getting the victim's townhouse ready for her to return home.

She also admitted to using some of the victim's money to pay for expenses for her home improvement business, but claimed she was also paying it back.

Specifically, Fossum said she spent $850 on a bed, chair lift and wheel chair. But officers pointed out that an additional $1,700 was unaccounted for. Fossum said she could not remember what it was used for.

Fossum eventually admitted that approximately $1,500 was spent on projects at other people's homes, and that she had used some money for her own cell phone bill, trips to the liquor store and internet service.

She said she had been paying it back, but probably still owed the victim roughly $3,000.

Fossum, who was charged by summons, made her first appearance Monday. Her next hearing is scheduled for June 8.

Full Article & Source:
Complaint: Morristown woman charged after spending vulnerable adult's money

Disabled Vet Shocked by Arrest of Trusted Friend

Two arrests for a despicable crime come as a shock to disabled veteran Jim Riley. Not only does he know one of the suspects -- he trusted him.

A Six on Your Side investigation helped crack the case.

As a caregiver sent by a nursing service, Rashad Johnson spent one day a week assisting Riley.

“He's an excellent caregiver,” Riley said. “You couldn't ask for a better person.”

But Johnson has been arrested for misusing the disabled client's credit card.

Sarpy County Detective Matt Barrall said, "We believe Rashad Johnson, once he was able to obtain the victim's credit card information, used it to wire money to Western Union where his brother picked it up."

Security camera video shows Amaan Johnson receiving $1,200 cash wired from the victim’s account.

Jim trusted his credit and debit card with the caregiver because the caregiver would buy essentials to help Jim deal with multiple sclerosis. Riley said the caregiver also purchased food and even went to dinner with the family - another reason why they feel betrayed.

“It’s a crying shame that these guys had to stoop that low,” Riley said.

Riley’s niece, Mary Ann Montgomery, said, "He's not letting anyone else take his credit card now but family like me to go do his shopping and stuff."

Amaan Johnson, who picked up the money, was arrested for financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. He also faces an unrelated counterfeiting charge in Colorado.

Detective Barrall said, “When Colorado authorities arrested him they found thousands of dollars in counterfeit bills."

Rashad Johnson has been charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Riley is shocked and said, “All he had to do was ask."

Through jail staff, we asked the arrested caregiver, Rashad Johnson, if he'd do an interview. He said he would if we paid his $2,000 bail. We declined.

Rashad Johnson is listed with the state as a Licensed Nurses Aide. The service he worked through hasn't returned our call.

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Disabled Vet Shocked by Arrest of Trusted Friend

Kan. couple sentenced for financial exploitation of disabled daughter

ATCHISON – (June 9, 2015) – An Atchison couple was ordered yesterday to pay restitution related to financial exploitation of their adult disabled daughter according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Nancy Ann Thummel, 44, and Dennis Joseph Thummel, 48, the biological father of the victim, were ordered by District Judge Martin Asher to pay $308,518.55 in restitution to their dependent adult daughter. Asher also sentenced Nancy Thummel to 24 months probation with an underlying sentence of 12 months in prison and Dennis Thummel to 24 months probation with an underlying sentence of 30 months in prison.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Atchison Police Department, which revealed that between July 2007 and September 2012 the Thummels regularly withdrew money from their daughter’s bank account for their own personal spending including gambling, purchasing a car and other recreational vehicles. In April, Nancy and Dennis Thummel each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft in amount greater than $100,000. Dennis Thummel pleaded guilty to additional charges that included three counts of mistreatment of a dependent adult and three counts of theft.

Assistant Attorneys General Robert Novak, Adrian Serene and Jackie Williams of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.

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Kan. couple sentenced for financial exploitation of disabled daughter

Man charged with kidnapping, forgery, exploitation claimed he was elderly victim’s ‘personal assistant’

SOUTH SALT LAKE – An elderly man was allegedly subjected to months of terror after he allowed a man he described as being homeless move in with him, and a deal to exchange room and board for personal assistance allegedly became a case of elderly abuse, forced confinement and forgery that resulted in the victim losing, “pretty much everything he owned and everything he worked for in his life.”

According to a statement of probable cause, 39-year-old Aaron Gibbs of South Salt Lake has been charged with kidnapping, exploitation of a vulnerable adult and two counts of forgery. A man named Loran Sant, 41, is listed as co-defendant. Police are still seeking both individuals, who may have fled the state.

According to a statement from the victim, a 72-year-old man from South Salt Lake, the man encountered Gibbs, who was homeless at the time, in mid-2012. Gibbs told the victim he was worried about people who take advantage of the elderly. The victim, who suffers from Parkinson ’s disease, agreed to let Gibbs into his home and provide room and board in exchange for his assistance. The victim stated he signed a written agreement with Gibbs but never saw the agreement again.

“The guy is warning him to be careful about, you know, people trying to take advantage of elderly people,” said Gary Keller, an executive officer and spokesman for South Salt Lake Police Department. “Anyway, that’s exactly what this guy did. He got settled in the house, brings in friends… they basically stole all his property.”

Shortly after making the deal for room and board, Gibbs allegedly moved three friends into the home, including his co-defendant Sant, without the victim’s permission. The statement alleges Gibbs and Sant began to mistreat and control the victim and would even lock him in his room for as long as a full day and would withhold food. Sant allegedly told the victim if he didn’t comply he, “would have the Aryan Nation put holes in him and throw acid on him and that they would then ‘bury him in the ground.’”

The victim said the threats prevented him from reporting the crimes. At this time, Gibbs also threatened to kill the victim if he did not surrender his truck to Gibbs, which the victim said he refused to do.

At one point during the months of abuse, the victim allegedly overheard Gibbs talking to someone about killing the victim, so he fled his home.

“He gets to the point where he is fearing for his life, he actually leaves and lives on the streets for a number of weeks,” Keller said of the victim.

The victim sent his son to his home to collect some of his property, and after several weeks of living homeless he called a friend who put him up in a hotel and contacted his family—who moved the victim to a retirement community.

South Salt Lake police responded to the residence November 5, 2012 on a complaint of theft, where an officer found Gibbs—who told the police he had been the victim’s personal assistant for the last 6 months and that, because the victim had been unable to pay him, the victim had signed over some of his property. Sant was present, and several other people were there helping Gibbs move property out of the home. Gibbs showed police a list of items he claimed the victim had signed over.

“We’ve only talked to the suspects just on the initial call,” Keller said. “We went over there, got some information from them, listened to their story about him being a personal assistant, and then we haven’t been able to find those people ever since. They have absconded, possibly out of the state.”

The statement of probable cause then goes on to say that in February of 2013 the victim’s daughter contacted police and gave them a list of her father’s property that Gibbs had taken, which included the victim’s truck and trailer. A detective verified that the truck and trailer were registered to Gibbs at that time, but when contacted Gibbs said he had the truck but could not register it because the victim wouldn’t give him the title.

The victim’s daughter showed police the titles to the truck and trailer. The title for the trailer had been filled out, purportedly by the victim, transferring the trailer to Gibbs as a “gift release” on October 30 of 2012. The victim stated that he did not sign this document and that his signature was forged.

The detective then obtained a bill of sale for the truck from the DMV, which showed the victim assigning the truck to Gibbs. According to the statement of probable cause, “[victim] could not remember having signed that document, but does recall signing documents for [Gibbs] under threat of bodily harm.”

The victim also showed police a document, again purportedly signed by him, that granted ownership of various property to Gibbs and the total amount of those items is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The victim stated the signature was forged and that Gibbs and Sant had threatened to kill him if he didn’t sign.

“Unfortunately for our victim, he pretty much lost everything he had,” Keller said. “Luckily, he is living out of state now, and close to his daughter… He is doing well, healthy.”

Keller said they have been investigating and trying to get the District Attorney’s Office to screen charges since about May of 2013.

“You’d have to contact the District Attorney’s Office, see what the delay was there,” he said. “I have to commend our detectives, they did an excellent job. They were determined, they were persistent, and they kept calling back, calling back, seeing where we were on this case, and I realize that, you know, workloads peak and die down, but in this time it seemed like everything else was ahead of it… The good thing is the charges have been filed.”

Keller said they are still searching for the men and believe they may have fled the state. He said often when elderly people are targeted in scams the scammers pose as contractors and things began with some kind of project, like repairing sprinkler systems, roofing issues or cracks in concrete driveways. Keller said they encourage people to look out for those who may be vulnerable.

“If you have elderly friends or family, check on them once in a while,” he said. “You know, I don’t know how they became estranged from their… He has a daughter and a son, a son that is actually in town here, but, check on your parents or grandparents, wherever they may be and just make sure they’re OK, if there’s anything they need help with.”

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Man charged with kidnapping, forgery, exploitation claimed he was elderly victim’s ‘personal assistant’

Woman gets probation in financial exploitation case

A former area resident accused of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult has been sentenced to five years probation, 50 hours of community work service, and cannot work in a job that includes fiduciary responsibilities.

Ashley Loraine Marschel, formerly known as Ashley Dotzenrod, pleaded guilty in December to one felony count; in exchange for the plea, an identical exploitation charge and a single felony count of theft by swindle were dismissed.

Marschel, 29, of Apple Valley, entered an Alford plea in Olmsted County District Court. The plea means Marschel maintains her innocence, but acknowledges that the evidence would be sufficient to convict her.

The investigation began Sept. 27, 2013, when police were told by a Rochester financial institution that Marschel had deposited about $50,000 in checks written on the alleged victim's account into her own checking account. The victim was described in the criminal complaint as having "significant difficulty in speech and motor movements," as well as having seizures, all the result of a stroke several years ago.

The man required the assistance of others for basic needs, and had a power of attorney document to assist in financial matters, the report says, classifying him as a functional vulnerable adult.

In January 2011, the man named Marschel as his power of attorney; in May 2011, Marschel opened a joint savings account with the man.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim's former power of attorney said the victim was "frugal" and was "aware of Marschel's spending habits." The man set up the financial arrangement so if Marschel was going to be paid, he would have to write her the check. Since 2009, only one check has been written to Marschel, the records show.

When investigators spoke to the man in October 2013, he said Marschel had stolen his money.

Records obtained by law enforcement indicate Marschel made 143 transactions involving the victim's bank account from January 2011 to October 2013, for a total of more than $92,000.

Prior to January 2012, a credit card in the man's name was paid in full every month, the complaint says. From January 2012 to October 2013, records showed Marschel used the card 14 times, with purchases totaling about $11,800.

The man told investigators he hadn't given Marschel consent to use the card.

The combined check and credit card activity totals $103,864.

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Woman gets probation in financial exploitation case