Cash, vehicles, vacations. Gig Harbor man accused of exploiting woman with dementia
A Gig Harbor man is accused of financially exploiting a woman diagnosed with dementia throughout their three-year relationship.
Prosecutors charged Kirk D Hein, 62, on Nov. 18 with five counts of first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult and second-degree theft from a vulnerable adult. Hein is accused of taking thousands of dollars from his girlfriend’s bank accounts while being aware of her cognitive decline. Prosecutors allege Hein exploited the woman between July 1, 2021 until Dec. 31, 2023, court records show
The News Tribune reached out to Hein, who said he had no comment at this time.
Gig Harbor officers arrested Hein on Friday after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Prosecutors argued that police learned Hein was planning to leave the country, court records show.
Court documents say that plane tickets for Mexico were purchased for Hein’s birthday with a return trip scheduled on Nov. 29. The person who bought the tickets for herself and Hein confirmed the purchase in a statement, records show.
Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Philip Thornton set Hein’s bail at $25,000 during his arraignment on Monday, records show.
Charging details
The 65-year-old woman worked at a University Place daycare before she retired and began receiving Social Security. Prosecutors wrote that the woman suffered a gradual but significant cognitive decline. Her thought process slowed, her memory worsened and she eventually could not write, documents show. The woman eventually was diagnosed with dementia in July 2021.
The woman met Hein that month at a dinner party in Gig Harbor. The woman’s cousin attended the event as well and had a conversation with Hein about not starting a relationship with the woman because of her medical condition, prosecutors wrote. Hein agreed, but he began a relationship with the victim shortly after meeting her. He eventually moved into her waterfront home three to four weeks later, prosecutors said.
Hein was living in an RV in Gig Harbor at the time and had very little income, prosecutors wrote. He did not have retirement or Social Security funds deposited into his bank account. Prosecutors wrote that Hein reportedly sold a University Place used-auto dealership for about $20,000.
An investigation by the Adult Protective Services allegedly showed that Hein had 19 prior tax warrants and judgment cases from 1981 through 2024. He was also delinquent in paying his Washington State Department of Revenue fees, documents show.
Four APS complaints alleged that Hein financially exploited as well as physically, sexually and emotionally abused the woman during the relationship, prosecutors wrote.
The first complaint came from Columbia Bank in November 2022 when workers there noticed unusual activity in the woman’s bank account. While Hein was not an authorized signer, he allegedly was always with the woman during “suspicious” transactions, prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors wrote that Hein allegedly dictated the amount of withdrawals. He allegedly would have the woman sign the withdrawal slip. When bank personnel attempted to speak to the woman about the purposes of those withdrawals, Hein allegedly interrupted or spoke over her, court documents show.
Gig Harbor police learned there was an extensive catalog of purchases made after Hein accessed the woman’s bank accounts. The purchases included cars, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, boats, trailers, auto parts, tools and vacations. There also were several cash withdrawals, documents show. Prosecutors noted that the woman never purchased those types of items prior to meeting Hein.
“Purchases at automobile suppliers/vehicle parts totaled $170,745.11 and cash withdrawals alone were an additional $174,223.82,” prosecutors wrote.
The investigation alleged that Hein took steps to isolate the woman from her friends and family, and family and friends were concerned about Hein’s involvement in the woman’s life.
Prosecutors wrote that Hein constantly told the woman that her family wanted her to go into a memory-care facility, and he was her only hope of avoiding that from happening. Prosecutors contend that was a manipulation tactic to get the woman to do what Hein wanted.
Hein allegedly took the woman’s iPhone she had for years and gave her an Android cellphone. That made it difficult for the woman to contact longtime friends or relatives as she was unfamiliar with Android phones, prosecutors wrote.
He allegedly controlled her schedule, and her children had to coordinate through him the times they could see their mother. Family members accused Hein of not answering their calls or ignoring their texts, documents show.
Family members began to drive by the woman’s home at random times to see her when she was left home unsupervised, prosecutors wrote. A medical provider previously told the woman that she was advised not to live alone because of her cognitive decline, documents show.
Hein was allegedly uncomfortable when APS went to the woman’s home and wanted to speak with her privately. Prosecutors alleged he did not want her signing anything without his permission. He allowed investigators to speak with her when they said law enforcement would get involved.
The woman began crying to the APS investigators privately and said she missed her family , prosecutors wrote. She was not aware who was managing her money and thought that Hein was handling it, documents show.
Investigators learned that Hein was involved in getting the woman’s will changed. He became the new executor of her estate, prosecutors wrote. There were several vehicles and motorcycles that would be left to him. Hein also had the ability to sell the house, which was worth about $1.2 million.
Hein told investigators that he made sure the woman’s bills got paid. He allegedly admitted that he was the one who transferred money in and out of all the accounts, prosecutors wrote. He said that he used her ATM card with her permission.
The woman’s family obtained a Vulnerable Adult Protection Order in December 2023, and Hein was evicted from the home, prosecutors wrote. Hein acknowledged in court filings that the woman was not able to take care of herself.
The woman had $877,796.83 deposited into her bank accounts, which included a settlement from her separated husband, the sale of a University Place house and loan repayments from family members, prosecutors wrote.
A forensic accounting report allegedly showed the withdrawals from the woman’s bank accounts totaled $874,231.30, prosecutors wrote. That included cash withdrawals, purchases at automobile suppliers and vehicle purchases, cashier’s checks to Hein and gifts/loans to family members.
Hein is being charged with these withdrawals, court records show:
- On Nov. 1, 2021, a $15,000 cashier’s check from the woman’s account was allegedly made out to Hein and deposited into his bank account.
- On June 1, 2022, a $30,000 check from the woman’s account was allegedly made out to Hein and deposited into his bank account.
- From March 28, 2022 through Sep. 29, 2023, there were 54 alleged transactions from an auto-parts store totaling $14,739.42.
- Between Oct. 18, 2022 and May 31, 2023, Hein allegedly charged 30 transactions on the woman’s credit card for Ford Mustang parts totaling $8,425. Hein had also purchased a Ford Mustang registered to his name.
- During March 24, 2023 to Sep. 7, 2023, there were 13 alleged transactions from an auto parts store totaling $3,386.
A Gig Harbor police officer’s investigation allegedly showed there were over 130 cash withdrawals from the woman’s bank account. About 80 withdrawals were for the maximum amounts of $500 or $600, records show. Over $173,000 in cash was taken from the time Hein met the woman in 2021 until December 2023, prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors wrote the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be filed.
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
