HOUGHTON, MI-- A Dollar Bay man has been sentenced for stealing money from an elderly woman.
Jason Heikkinen, 47 was sentenced Monday in 12th Circuit Court on a charge of embezzlement-person in a relationship of trust with a vulnerable adult.
The Michigan State Police Calumet Post started its investigation in 2023.
Heikkinen had been a car salesman at a Houghton-area car dealership. He developed a relationship with an elderly woman over the years while selling her cars.
After the woman was placed in a nursing home, her bills were being managed by a financial institution, which eventually stopped handling them. With no nearby family to assist her, Heikkinen became her conservator, responsible for managing her finances for a small fee. Heikkinen put her house and portfolio in his name and sold her personal property.
The situation came to light when the woman’s bank account, which had approximately a $70,000 balance, quickly dwindled down to nearly nothing. The bank manager noticed and alerted MSP.
Investigation revealed Heikkinen had spent more than $130,000 of the elderly woman’s funds and sold her personal property without anyone’s knowledge or permission to do so.
Following a plea agreement, Heikkinen was sentenced Monday to 180 days in jail with credit for one day served, requiring 89 days to be served immediately. The remaining 90 days will be served if probation is violated.
Heikkinen was also sentenced to 24 months of probation and must pay restitution in the amount of $179,250.
