A 46-year-old Taylorsville man is behind bars, accused of siphoning nearly $34,000 from his elderly mother's bank account over six months while allegedly tracking her every move with AirTags to keep her from seeking help. Zachary Stewart was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and is being held without bail on charges that include financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and unlawful installation of a tracking device.
The case began when the Taylorsville Police Department was contacted by a person reporting elder abuse, according to ABC4 Utah. The caller reported that Stewart had manipulated and threatened his 70-year-old mother into giving him tens of thousands of dollars. Law enforcement detained Stewart following an interview with the victim, who told officers she was afraid to go to the police station because she believed her son was tracking her through her phone and location-tracking apps.
Bank Records Point to Six Months of Withdrawals
A Taylorsville police detective who reviewed bank statements from the victim's account found that it received roughly $37,500 over six months, with about $33,900 of that money ultimately funneled to Stewart, per the same account. Investigators say Stewart received $24,400 transferred from the account through Cash App, while ATM withdrawals totaled $9,900. During those six months, the report notes, the victim was left with only $4,000 for her own day-to-day expenses.
Police say Stewart allegedly brought his mother to the bank himself to make withdrawals and hand the money directly over to him, and that he does not contribute anything to the household despite living with her. The station's report indicates Stewart allegedly admitted he spent more of his mother's money than he should have. Law enforcement believes, per court documents, that Stewart may have taken as much as $200,000 from his mother over several years — far beyond the roughly $33,000 tied to the six-month window covered by the current charges.
AirTags and Threats Kept Victim From Reporting
The article notes that the victim did not permit Stewart to make Cash App transfers from her bank cards, and she repeatedly cancelled her old bank cards in an attempt to stop him. She also reportedly hid cash inside pillowcases, clothing, and other places around the home to keep her son from taking it. Despite those efforts, police say Stewart used AirTags and the victim's own cell phone to track her location against her will.
Investigators say Stewart sent threatening and berating messages to his mother and at one point threatened to punch or hit her. According to the report, the victim was afraid to report the alleged abuse out of fear of retaliation. Stewart was ultimately jailed for allegedly threatening his 70-year-old mother and stealing most of her income while living under her roof.
Charges Carry Steep Penalties Under Utah Law
Stewart was charged with intentional financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult amounting to over $5,000, a second-degree felony, along with unlawful installation of a tracking device, a class A misdemeanor. Both charges carry a domestic violence enhancement. Under Utah Code § 76-5-111.4, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult becomes a second-degree felony once the stolen value exceeds $5,000, according to the Utah Legislature.
A second-degree felony conviction in Utah carries a potential sentence of 1 to 15 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, per the Utah Courts. The tracking device charge, a class A misdemeanor under Utah Code § 76-9-408, carries up to 364 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Because both charges carry a domestic violence enhancement, Stewart would also face mandatory requirements including at least 16 weeks of domestic violence classes and firearm restrictions if convicted, according to Intermountain Legal.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Elder Financial Abuse
Cases like this one reflect a documented pattern nationwide. Approximately 90% of elder financial exploitation cases are committed by family members or other trusted individuals in the victim's life, according to research from the National Adult Protective Services Association. Utah aging officials and elder justice advocates have separately reported that financial exploitation has become the fastest-growing form of elder abuse across the state.
Utah Adult Protective Services receives approximately 10 elder abuse reports per day statewide, with financial exploitation and caretaker neglect among the most common supported allegations, according to Davis County. Elder financial exploitation is also believed to be severely underreported nationwide, with only an estimated 1 in 24 cases ever reaching official authorities, per educational reporting from First Utah Bank — a statistic that may help explain why victims like Stewart's mother often delay coming forward out of fear.
Utah law requires anyone who suspects a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected, or financially exploited to report it immediately to Adult Protective Services or local law enforcement. As it stands, Stewart's case remains in its early stages, and it is unclear whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges tied to the larger sum police believe he took over several years. The charges against him are allegations only, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
