Rochester man accused of taking more than $40K from woman with dementia
MGN / photo illustration, crime and courts
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man appeared in court Thursday on five felony theft charges after allegedly transferring $46,400 from a vulnerable adult’s bank accounts to his own.
Jesse Kora LeQuia, 50, is accused of spending the money at Treasure Island Casino and in Las Vegas between November 2023 and March 2024.
According to court documents, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office received a Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) report in April 2024, which said the woman’s bank accounts were missing around $40,000.
An Olmsted County social worker determined that the woman was unable to answer any questions about her finances, according to court documents.
According to court documents, LeQuia lived with the woman, but did not pay rent, and said the woman required help with everyday tasks.
LeQuia, who was not the woman’s power of attorney, allegedly admitted to using the banking app on the woman’s phone to transfer money to himself and feed a gambling addiction.
The bank statements showed 12 transfers in slightly less than four months. The smallest denomination was $2,300, according to court documents. The largest was $6,500.
LeQuia’s next hearing is scheduled for March 11.