Charges: Son swindled over a half million dollars out of dementia stricken Redwood County couple
(Redwood Falls, MN) – A Bloomington man stands accused of bilking over a half million dollars out of his parents, who are both suffering from dementia.
Paul Charles Dietl, 47, is charged with four felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult in Redwood County.
According to the criminal complaint, Dietl’s siblings contacted Lamberton police in October 2017 to report their brother was financially exploiting their parents. The victims would have been approximately 80-years-old at the time. They had both been diagnosed with dementia, according to the complaint.
Police found what they called “several transactions of concern” when they investigated the complaint. Social workers discovered a Citi credit card in the name of Dietl’s father. Dietl had exclusive possession and use of the card, of which $54,764 had been charged in 2017, according to the complaint. Charges had been made in Mexico, New York, Texas, and Colorado, all place Dietl’s father hadn’t been in 2017.
In August 2017, one of the victim’s took out a $60,000 auto loan for a new Ford F-150 pickup, which Dietl exclusively drove and kept, according to the criminal complaint. The same month, Dietl’s brother said Dietl approached him about buying a house in Bloomington for which he would make payments, but his brother declined.
On October 17, 2017, according to the complaint, Dietl’s brother reported to investigators that $240,000 had been withdrawn from two accounts, one of which was an annuity. The victims’ financial advisor told police he was “very concerned” with the transaction. According to the advisor, Dietl’s father called to start the transaction, but Dietl could be heard in the background telling him what to say. When the two arrived at the office to complete the transaction, the advisor said he inquired what the money was for, and Dietl responded: “none of your damn business.”
On October 26, 2017, a cashier’s check was issued to Dietl in the amount of $207,000 from an account that was jointly owned by the victims. The same day, a check for $70,000 was made out to Dietl as a down payment from the sale of a Lake Florida cabin owned by the victims in Kandioyhi County. Dietl had no ownership rights to the property, or any legal authority to make the transaction on the victims’ behalf, according to court documents.
On November 1, 2017, Dietl purchased a home in Bloomington, according to the complaint.
During an interview with social workers, Dietl’s father said Dietl would pass him paperwork and he would sign it, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he was signing.
The total amount Dietl is accused of stealing from his parents is $631, 764. He’s due to appear in Redwood County Court on April 15th.
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