Police investigating senior exploitation cases

Two unrelated cases involving the exploitation of senior adults are under investigation by the Ponca City Police Department.

Affidavits in both cases were prepared and sent to the District Attorney’s office, requesting warrants be issued for the defendants, spokeswoman Sherry Bowers said.

In the first case, an investigator from the Department of Human Services, Adult Protective Services Division, contacted the Police Department regarding a 78-year-old man that she believed was being exploited by his 27-year-old grandson who recently began living with him.

The APS worker became aware of the situation while the grandson was incarcerated.

The victim was removed from his home, having suffered injuries from sleeping on the floor of the bathroom of his home. A gas heater in the bathroom was the only source of heat for the house.

The grandson had been given checks to pay his grandfather’s bills, but cashed them instead. In a previous investigation, reported in December 2014, it was discovered that the grandson had also pawned personal property of his grandfather after the grandfather reported a burglary of his homes and items missing.

In the second case, a DHS APS investigator contacted the Police Department regarding a 55-year-old daughter that had been granted guardianship to oversee the finances of her 78-year-old mother who had become a resident of a nursing home.

Not only were the co-payments not made to the nursing home, but an audit reveals just over $237,000 was depleted from the victim’s bank and investment accounts during a 26-month period.