Mpls. man charged with financially exploiting elderly mother
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A Minneapolis man is accused of financially exploiting his elderly mother who suffers from dementia.
A criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County says Joel Allen Berntsen cashed thousands of dollars in checks from his mother's account, causing the 95-year-old woman to fall behind on rent and have her bank account frozen.
The 58-year-old Berntsen says he borrowed $290,000 from his mother in 2006 to buy a house in North Oaks. She also gave him $2,000 a month for house payments. But in 2008, the home in his mother's name went into foreclosure. And, the IRS notified the Roseville woman she owed nearly $13,000 in back taxes on the home.
Prosecutors say Berntsen told police he also borrowed nearly $22,000 from his mother.
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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press
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