Two in Granite Falls sentenced for financial exploitation of elderly man

Nov. 21--GRANITE FALLS -- Two people from Granite Falls have been sentenced to potentially serve annual 60-day jail terms for five years for financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Mark Alan Syring, 50, and Jerilyn Marie Holmes, 70, were sentenced this month in Yellow Medicine County District Court on charges related to cleaning out the bank accounts of a 93-year-old man.

Syring was sentenced for one felony charge of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. He had pleaded guilty to one felony in September. He had been initially charged with three additional financial exploitation charges.

Holmes had pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge of check forgery.

Both received a stay of imposition of sentence, meaning if they comply with all the conditions set by the court, their convictions may be be reduced to misdemeanors.

Both received a 305-day jail term, which was stayed for five years. They were placed on probation for five years.

Syring was ordered to pay $14,480.62 in restitution. Holmes was ordered to pay $11,300 in restitution. Part of the restitution, $8,800, is a joint and several obligation, meaning they are equally responsible for paying that amount.

Both were ordered to serve 60 days in the Yellow Medicine County Jail beginning Oct. 30 in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The jail time may be deferred for each of them each year. To avoid jail, they must pay a verified $2,000 in restitution by Oct. 30 each year.

Syring will be required to undergo a gambling assessment and is not allowed to hold a fiduciary position or be a guardian or power of attorney during his probation.

In February, Yellow Medicine County authorities were asked to check on the welfare of an elderly man. Syring has power of attorney for the man. During their initial visit, county officials did not see anything about the condition of the man or his home to cause concern.

However, when they asked to see his checkbook, Syring said he didn't know where it was and that Holmes, the man's personal care attendant, handled his checkbook. Holmes told authorities she didn't have documents related to the checkbook, but she knew the man's bank accounts were overdrawn.

A review of bank records showed that Holmes appeared to have been paid more than Syring had said. Other checks did not appear to be related with the man's care. The man's accounts were found to be overdrawn, and his utilities hadn't been paid.

Syring admitted that a $2,000 check was written to a woman "bugging him for money." A $2,500 check was written to pay another woman's legal fees. Other checks had been used at Prairie's Edge Casino. Syring and Holmes also allegedly said some of the other missing money had been used for meals and gambling.

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