Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Two people, including a local veteran service dog leader, were bound over to stand trial for the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that 68-year-old Shelley Letzer, of West Bloomfield, and 53-year-old Kirk Lanam, of Hartland, were bound over to the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County.

It is alleged that the two “fraudulently obtained from the 87-year-old victim legal power of attorney in March of 2024, knowing the man to be a vulnerable or incapacitated adult with a court-appointed guardian and embezzled significant funds from the victim.”

Letzer is accused of embezzling more than $400,000 from the victim and attempting to embezzle at least a further $200,000.

Lanam is accused of embezzling more than $500,000 from the victim for both his own benefit and the benefit of Veteran’s Service Dog Organization, the non-profit he previously ran. The organization is based in Howell.

“Exploiting unsuspecting victims or those who rely on others for support for personal gain is unacceptable," Nessel said at the time of Lanam’s arraignment. “My Department takes reports of elder abuse very seriously. We will thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing against our vulnerable adult population and prosecute those who prey on them.”

Letzer, who was charged in January, is charged with six counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony, one count of fraudulently obtaining a signature, a 10-year felony, and one count of motor vehicle code – intent to pass false title, also a 10-year felony.

Lanam, who was also charged in January, is charged with five counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, $100,000 or more and one count of fraudulently obtaining a signature.

A pretrial date hasn’t been set at this time.