Dallas County officials have filed charges in what could be the first case pursued under a new law with tougher penalties for the financial exploitation of an older Iowan.
Sixty-eight-year-old Alan Steven Kessler of West Des Moines has been charged with with one count of theft in the first degree against an older individual. It’s a new felony lawmakers established earlier this year. Kessler has been charged with ongoing criminal conduct and securities fraud as well.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Securities Bureau started investigating Kessler in April. He was arrested last week. Court records indicate he’s accused of an ongoing scheme to steal from an elderly individual — defined under the new law as someone who’s 60 or older. Authorities say there may be more victims and they’re asking for people to contact law enforcement if they may suspect Kessler scammed them.
Kessler was released from the Dallas County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
Court records accuse Kessler of trying to take property worth at least $10,000 from an older individual. A Corvette dealer in the northwest Iowa town of Sanborn and a Lexus dealership in the Des Moines area are on a witness list.