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An Ontonagon man has pleaded guilty to charges that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly downstate woman.
Sixty-two-year-old Richard Filbey obtained a power of attorney for the 86-year-old victim in 2018.
Prosecutors say he used that authority to transfer two annuities worth $280,000 into his name. He also sold property the woman owned in Lapeer. He then used the proceeds for himself.
Officials also say he reported none of the income on his Michigan tax returns.
The woman has since died.
In 16th District Court in Macomb County Monday, Filbey pleaded guilty to one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult of $100,000 or More, and one count of Tax Fraud. As part of the plea, Filbey agreed to pay more than $280,000 in restitution.
He had originally been charged with three counts of embezzlement and two counts of tax fraud.
The Michigan Attorney General’s office says Filbey has already transferred title to three pieces of property he owned to the victim’s estate. They will be sold and the money used as part of the restitution.
Sentencing will take place on October 30, 2024, before Judge Kathryn A. Viviano.
