Pastor David DeFor says he was acting as a friend and never asked for money from an 82-year-old woman with dementia. He told investigators that the more than $15,000 that flowed from her account to his church and another $11,000 he and his wife received were simply rewards for handling her finances and driving her to the doctor, lunch and church.
But a criminal complaint filed last week in Mower County alleges those gifts included $5,000 for a new furnace in his home and another $3,000 for DeFor's wife to travel to a bowling tournament in Nevada. The complaint also details how the woman's will was changed in 2011 to give a quarter of her estate to DeFor and 15 percent to his church. DeFor, 69, pastor at Austin Church of Christ (Christian), faces four felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. He lost his power of attorney last month after overseeing her finances for nearly three years. A hearing to revoke the latest will is scheduled for July 17.
Curt Brown
@stribcbrown
