Fergus Falls, MN – A Fergus Falls man has been charged with three counts of Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult after allegedly taking over $120,000 from a retiree for personal uses.
According to the Fergus Falls Police Department, 59-year-old Darren Torgusson received Power of Attorney for the victim on May 22nd, 2024. Between May 22nd and June 26th, Torgusson issued seven checks to himself and five to businesses from the victim’s account. The total value of the checks was $120,603.39.
The victim’s bank told officers that since opening an account with them in 2013, he had maintained a balance between $135,000 and $145,000, but after Torgusson’s checks, the balance was down to $26,000.
A vulnerable adult maltreatment report was made on June 25th. Officials spoke with the victim, a 76-year-old man who resides at Pioneer Care in Fergus Falls. He told them that he had not had contact with Torgusson for around a year, and when they read him the list of transactions, he said he did not recognize or authorize any of the purchases.
The Power of Attorney states that Torgusson was asked to hold off on exercising his powers until it is necessary for him to step in and help the victim with financial matters, and that he must deal with financial matters in the same manner that the victim would.
Officials confirmed that the purchases made with the victim’s money were not for the benefit of the victim, as the purchases included a lawn mower, a trailer, a four-wheeler, a Yamaha motor, nets, and tools.
Torgusson made his first court appearance on Monday (November 4th).
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