Rochester couple accused of cashing $125K in checks from vulnerable relative’s banking account

(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester couple are accused of writing themselves more than $125,000 in checks from an elderly relative’s account in a single year.

Colleen Marie Siverling-Keigher, 35, and Corey Jonathon Keigher, 33, each face two charges of aiding and abetting financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult–uses/manages or takes property for benefit of someone else.

The pair is accused of using Siverling-Keigher’s position as power of attorney for an 81-year-old man in a memory care facility to cash checks and make ATM withdrawals for their own benefit.

According to court documents, Siverling-Keigher and Keigher allegedly wrote themselves checks totaling $66,025.25 between Jan.1 and June 30, 2021, and another $59,000 between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2021, totalling just over $125,000.

The couple was asked to bring photographs and documents showing that the money had been used in the alleged victim’s benefit, according to court documents.

Photographs provided of the victim’s home did not show renovations the couple had discussed, and Siverling-Keigher did not provide paperwork showing funds removed from the alleged victim’s account were used to purchase items or services for his benefit, according to court documents.

Memory care facility staff and a tour of the alleged man’s room also refuted Siverling-Keigher’s claim that she had purchased items and snacks for the elderly man, according to court documents.

Additionally, according to court documents, a television in the alleged victim’s room had a different serial number than one purchased in 2021 by Siverling-Keigher and Keigher.

In a voluntary interview, Siverling-Keigher allegedly said when she became the 81-year-old man’s power of attorney, she was instructed to pay herself for work she did managing the funds at a rate of $25 per hour.

According to court documents, a social worker at the memory care facility pointed out that if both of the couple paid themselves $25 per hour for financial management, they would have each had to work more than 40 hours a week, or a total of 48 hours each before taxes, in order to make $125,000 in a year.

According to court documents, Keigher admitted to using some of the money to buy new tires for their camper, and Siverling-Keigher said she had used about $4,000 of the alleged victim’s money to buy jewelry for herself.

According to court documents, Siverling-Keigher claimed the pair was paying the victim back for purchases they made for their own benefit, but there were no bank statements or payments to verify her statement.