Three distant relatives are under arrest after Bellevue police said they exploited an 88-year-old woman’s finances, property and trust in an alleged scheme that drained more than $1 million in assets. The investigation points to a power of attorney, a home transfer, a $917,400 property sale and nearly $195,000 in personal-account spending that police say did not benefit the victim.
According to KOMO News, Bellevue police began investigating after the woman was diagnosed with a medical condition in May 2024. The suspects include a man identified as the victim’s nephew, a 49-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man; police said all three are distant family members and declined to identify them while the case remains under investigation.
The allegations fall within the type of conduct King County officials describe as vulnerable-adult exploitation. The county says vulnerable adults can include people 60 and older who cannot independently care for themselves, and that adult abuse can include the improper use of a person’s money, property or other resources.
A Power Of Attorney And A House Sale
Police allege the nephew received power of attorney over the woman’s affairs on June 14, 2024, while the 24-year-old was listed as an alternate. The same day, investigators said, the woman signed documents gifting ownership of her Bellevue residence to the younger suspect, according to KOMO News.
The woman was moved into assisted living in July 2024, police said. Her former Bellevue home was sold for $917,400 in October, while the suspects purchased a $715,000 home in Kent that same month; investigators said the victim did not benefit from the sale.
From June 2024 through September 2025, police allege the suspects accessed and spent $194,965.04 from the woman’s personal bank accounts. Investigators said the money went toward food, entertainment, bills for the Kent home, home improvements and shopping purchases, rather than expenses for the victim.
Arrests Came After Guardianship Changed
King County Superior Court granted full guardianship and conservatorship to another distant relative in September 2025. By April 2026, police said the woman’s finances had been depleted so severely that she was moved into a state-funded assisted-living facility.
Law enforcement carried out an arrest operation last Tuesday, taking the two older suspects into custody in the Kent area and arresting the 24-year-old in SeaTac. Each suspect was arrested on suspicion of first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult, first-degree money laundering and first-degree identity theft.
A Broader Warning For King County Families
The Bellevue case arrives amid broader concern about financial exploitation of older adults in the region. A recent King County case ended with a 24-month prison sentence after a man was convicted of taking nearly $500,000 from his grandmother, while Axios reported that Washington reports to Adult Protective Services involving abuse, neglect or financial exploitation had tripled over the prior decade.
Arrests Do Not Yet Mean Charges Are Filed
The suspects have been arrested, but an arrest is not the same as a filed criminal case. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says law enforcement submits investigations for review and prosecutors decide whether charges should be filed, declined or returned for additional work.
Bellevue police urged residents to stay connected with older relatives, monitor bank accounts and protect important valuables. Anyone who suspects abuse of a vulnerable adult should call 911 and notify Adult Protective Services or a trusted health care provider, guidance also outlined by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
