Man sentenced after stealing $80K when father’s home repossessed

WELLINGTON, Kan. (WIBW) - A Garden City man will repay nearly $80,000 following his conviction for the mistreatment of an elder after his father’s home was repossessed.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced on Monday, March 13, that Abelio Carvajal Jr., 53, of Garden City, has been sentenced to repay nearly $80,000 that he illegally took from his father’s bank account.

Court records indicate that Carvajal Jr. was sentenced in Sumner Co. District Court by Judge William R. Mott on one count of mistreatment of an elder person. He was sentenced to repay a total of $79,836. He will also serve 24 months of supervised probation.

AG Kobach noted Carvajal Jr. pleaded guilty on Feby 2 after investigators with the Fraud and Abuse Litigation Division and the Mulvane Police Department found he had feloniously taken his father’s property. He said this violated the Kansas Power of Attorney Act.

Between Aug. 22, 2016, and April 2, 2018, Kobach said Carvajal Jr. took money out of his father’s bank account for his own benefit. He also acquired a home equity loan on his father’s home that was later repossessed and sold for failure to make payments on said loan.

“We take cases of abuse and neglect of elder Kansans seriously,” said Prosecutor Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Silvermintz. “Persons who suspect that a neighbor or loved one is being abused should not hesitate to reach out to the appropriate agencies for investigation.”

To report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult in the community, residents should call the Kansas Protection Report Center at 1-800-922-5330. If elder abuse is suspected in a nursing home, residents should call the Home Health Agency at 1-800-842-0078. In the event of an emergency, call 911.