Man Pinched For Allegedly Abusing POA To Fleece Elderly Relative; Nearly $338K In Missing Money Includes Proceeds From Sale Of Victim's Farm; Probe Triggered When Rent Payments For Victim's Residency At Assisted Living Facility Began Bouncing

In Mankato, Minnesota, the Mankato Free Press reports:

• A North Mankato man allegedly stole more than $300,000 from an elderly relative.
  
  Dale Scot Tischer, 55, was charged Wednesday [Febtuary 1] with four counts of financial exploitation of the vulnerable adult.
  
  An exploitation investigation was launched because Tischer's relative's bills weren't being paid, according to the criminal complaint. Automatic withdrawals from the relative's checking account to pay for his medication and residency in a assisted-living facility in Blue Earth County were bouncing. Tischer had power of attorney over his relative.
  
  The investigation found multiple fund transfers into Tischer's account and withdrawals the investigator believed Tischer made for his own benefit, according to the criminal complaint. The withdrawals and transfers allegedly totaled nearly $338,000.
  
  Tischer initially claimed his relative had given him $150,000 after the relative's farm was sold. The suspect claimed the remainder of the funds went to pay his relative's medical bills and other expenses.
  
  But the relative denied giving Tischer any money and the purchases included items such as guns and furniture, according to the complaint.
  
  When pressed by the investigator, Tischer allegedly admitted to spending some of his relative's money on himself. He claimed not to know how much he spent, according to the complaint.

Source: Man charged with stealing $338,000 from elderly relative.