(WWJ) — A man from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been sentenced to jail for allegedly embezzling from a woman that he had formed a relationship with by selling her cars.
Michigan State Police officials announced Tuesday 47-year-old Jason Heikkenen of Dollar Bay was sentenced Monday to up to 180 days in jail for his charge of embezzling from a person in a relationship of trust with a vulnerable adult.
The charge stems from an investigation by the MSP Calumet Post that began in 2023.
MSP officials say Heikkenen had been a car salesman at a Houghton-area dealership and developed a relationship with an elderly woman over the years while selling her cars.
After she had been placed in a nursing home, her bills were being managed by a financial institution which eventually stopped handling them, according to MSP.
With no nearby family to assist her, MSP officials say Heikkenen became the woman’s conservator and was responsible for managing her finances for a small fee.
Heikkenen, however, “took advantage of the situation,” according to MSP.
He was able to put her house and her portfolio in his name and he had been selling her personal property, officials said.
The situation came to light when her bank account — which had a balance of about $70,000 — “quickly dwindled down to nearly nothing.” The bank manager took notice and alerted MSP, leading to an investigation.
Investigators found that Heikkenen had spent more than $130,000 of the elderly woman’s funds and sold some of her belongings without anyone knowing and without having permission to do so. Authorities did not say what type of personal property he sold.
Per Heikkenen’s plea agreement, he has credit for one day served and will be required to serve 89 more days in jail. The remaining 90 days of his sentence will be served if he violated the terms of his probation.
He was also sentenced to two years of probation and must pay $179,250 in restitution, according to MSP.
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