Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Nora Bekis trusted her son Larry to handle her matters. The 83-year-old woman had chronic lung disease and dementia and had moved into a Minnesota nursing home. She gave her son power of attorney to pay her bills and care for her home. Larry took out a $100,000 reverse mortgage on his mother’s home, but somehow Nora’s nursing home bill went unpaid to the point where she owed a whopping $49,000, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

Rose of Sharon nursing home pressured Larry to pay his mother’s bill. He promised to sell her house, but instead took out the loan. And still, the bill was left unpaid. The nursing home contacted the county’s adult protection department which found that Larry had been pocketing his mother’s social security and pension checks, totaling $3,000 per month. Reports also show that Larry drained nearly $11,000 from his mother’s checking account, leaving her with a balance of just $86.

Larry told police he was using the money from the sale of his mother’s house to carry out her wishes. He paid utilities and medical bills, paid his son’s mortgage, and gave another $10,000 to $20,000 to his nephew. But none of the money went to pay for his mother’s care.

Larry was accused of intentionally exploiting his mother, though he claimed he was simply just poor at managing money. He was charged in Ramsey County District Court last week with theft by swindle.

The county began paying for Nora’s hospice care last spring, according to reports.

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