A St. Louis man allegedly failed to make assisted living payments, which reportedly resulted in the victim being evicted from a care facility.
A St. Louis man appeared in federal court earlier this week after prosecutors accused him of taking more than $735,000 while acting as power of attorney for a retired school teacher.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, 40-year-old Micheal N. Jones pleaded not guilty Monday to eight federal wire fraud charges after being indicted last month.
Investigators allege Jones was granted power of attorney over the victim in March 2023. Soon afterward, he allegedly spent more than $12,000 from the victim’s checking account and also used her credit card for purchases on OnlyFans.
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Authorities say that in April 2023, the victim was moved into an assisted living facility while her home was later sold. Prosecutors claim Jones used money from the property sale to purchase four separate properties across the St. Louis area.
Court documents also allege that approximately $160,000 was transferred into Jones’ personal bank account and Cash App account. Investigators say the money was used on personal expenses including food, travel, life coaching services and additional online purchases.
Federal prosecutors claim Jones failed to properly manage the victim’s assisted living expenses while spending the money on himself.
According to investigators, the victim was eventually removed from one assisted living facility after only a single payment had been made on her behalf. She later accumulated another unpaid balance exceeding $50,000 at a second facility.
FOX 2 Now reported that the federal wire fraud charges could carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if Jones is convicted.
