Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A southeastern Minnesota woman owes a large amount of restitution, but she is being given an opportunity to erase her conviction for financially exploiting a vulnerable adult.

Olmsted County Court records indicate 59-year-old Daphne Jo Castillo of Mazeppa was charged last November with draining the bank account of an individual suffering from dementia over a period of about five years. The criminal complaint in the case says the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the case last summer.

The court document says an investigator learned that the victim had an outstanding balance of nearly $30,000 for services provided by a Rochester memory care center and that a $10,500 check written by the person's Power of Attorney had been returned for insufficient funds. Castillo was identified as the Power of Attorney.

The Charges Highlighted 10 Withdrawals That Totaled More Than $178,000

According to the criminal complaint, investigators reviewed the victim's account and found multiple suspicious withdrawals. It also states that, during an interview with a detective, Castillo admitted to making the withdrawals and indicated that she used about $78,000 from the victim's account to purchase a truck.

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The charges state that Castillo also told investigators that she purchased gifts for herself using the victim's funds. She also claimed that she made purchases of items for the victim, but cannot produce receipts to back up her claims.

Court documents say a further review of the victim's bank account highlighted 10 transactions going back to July 2019. Those transactions ranged from just over $3000 to more than $44,000 and added up to $178,643.

Castillo was charged with 10 felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of issuing a dishonored check. Through a plea agreement, she entered a guilty plea to one count of financial exploitation in exchange for the dismissal of all of the other charges.

She has been sentenced to five years on probation through a Stay of Adjudication. That means her conviction will be removed from her criminal record if she successfully completes her probation. Castillo was also ordered to pay more than $184,000 in restitution.

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