LANSING ? Today, Clayton Yorks, 44, of Battle Creek, was arraigned in the 10th District Court in Calhoun County before Judge Michelle Richardson on one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult, $1,000 - $20,000, a 5-year felony, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.???

Following his father?s admission to an assisted living facility in November of 2021, it is alleged that Yorks used his father?s debit card to pay his own bills and make other personal purchases in monthly sums nearly equal to that of his father?s monthly income, continuing until September of 2022. It is further alleged that Yorks had no legal authority to convert his father?s money to his own purposes.??

"When a vulnerable adult moves into a residential care setting, it is not open season on their bank account and income," said Nessel. ?Those who take advantage of a family member engage in an egregious breach of trust. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute these cases of suspected vulnerable adult abuse, and I encourage anyone out there who suspects such abuse to report it to my dedicated team of investigators.??

Reports of suspected elder abuse can be made directly to the Department of Attorney General via the new Elder Financial Exploitation/Patient Abuse Complaint webform.??

The defendant was given a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and will next appear before Judge Tracie Tomak in the 10th District Court for a pre-exam conference on March 13th at 10:00 a.m. A Preliminary Examination is scheduled for March 20th.???

The Attorney General?s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) handled this case for the Department. The HCFD is the federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Michigan, and it receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,541,992 for the fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25% percent, totaling $1,847,326 is funded by the State of Michigan.????

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