LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — An Oakland County decide dominated Tuesday that Kirk Lanam, 53, and Shelley Letzer, 68, will stand trial on a number of fees stemming from accusations that they financially exploited a weak 87-year-old man out of lots of of 1000’s of {dollars}.
The 2, initially charged in January, are accused of fraudulently acquiring authorized energy of legal professional from the sufferer, in March 2024, figuring out he was a weak or incapacitated grownup with a court-appointed guardian, in accordance with Michigan Lawyer Common Dana Nessel.
Kirk Lanam’s reserving picture from Oakland County.
Letzer, of West Bloomfield, is accused of embezzling $400,000 from the sufferer and trying to embezzle a minimum of one other $200,000. Lanam, of Hartland, allegedly embezzled greater than $500,000 from the sufferer for his personal private profit and for the advantage of the non-profit he was in command of on the time — Veteran’s Service Canine Group (VSDO) in Howell.
Lanam and his group had been on the middle of a 2024 stolen valor investigation by 6 Information Investigates. An Oakland County investigation moreover reveals Lanam took over the monetary affairs of an aged Korean Struggle veteran. When he did so, VSDO was struggling to pay payments, former supporters and volunteers have instructed 6 Information Investigates.
On the identical time, volunteers additionally instructed 6 Information he started displaying up with costly gadgets, similar to garden shifting gear, safety cameras, and a brand new Hyundai Palisades. The 6 Information Investigates Group can present greater than $250,000 in spending from the aged veteran’s account that seems to have benefited VSDO and Lanam.
Letzer will stand trial on six counts of embezzling $100,000 or extra from a weak grownup, a 20-year felony, one depend of fraudulently acquiring a signature, a 10-year felony, and one depend of desiring to go a false motorcar title — a 10-year felony.
Lanam will stand trial on 5 counts of embezzling $100,000 or extra from a weak grownup and one depend of fraudulently acquiring a signature,
A pretrial date has not but been set.
