LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A 56-year-old man from DeWitt has been charged with embezzling money from an elderly person.
Peter Counseller was arraigned before Judge Lisa Babcock in East Lansing on one count of embezzlement by an agent in excess of $100,000, one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult in excess of $100,000, and two counts of filing false tax returns.
Each embezzlement count is a felony that comes with up to 20 years in prison.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Counseller stole tens of thousands of dollars from 2020 to 2021 from a 90-year-old blind woman.
He apparently used the cash to pay his mortgage and go on vacation. He never included these transactions on his tax returns, Nessel said.
“Financial exploitation of vulnerable adults in our state is not only a serious crime with substantial felony penalties, but also an assault on the wellbeing and security of elderly Michigan residents,” said Nessel in a statement. “My office puts a high priority on defending Michigan’s seniors from being victimized by thieves and fraudsters and we will continue to hold the perpetrators of elder abuse accountable.”
Counseller is held on a $50,000 bond.
