Great Lakes Wire

Today in Lansing, Kirk Lanam, 52, of Hartland, faced arraignment before Magistrate Judge Marie Soma at the 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills. He faces five felony charges for allegedly financially exploiting a vulnerable adult to benefit himself and his non-profit organization. The announcement came from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Lanam's bond has been set at $150,000 cash or surety.

According to allegations, Lanam obtained legal power of attorney from an 87-year-old victim in March 2024. The victim was known to be vulnerable or incapacitated with a court-appointed guardian. Lanam is accused of embezzling over $400,000 from the victim for personal use and to support the Veteran’s Service Dog Organization based in Howell, which he controlled.

"Exploiting unsuspecting victims or those who rely on others for support for personal gain is unacceptable," said Nessel. "My Department takes reports of elder abuse very seriously. We will thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing against our vulnerable adult population and prosecute those who prey on them."

Lanam is charged with four counts of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult involving amounts of $100,000 or more—a charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years—and one count of Fraudulently Obtaining a Signature, which carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years. A pre-examination conference is scheduled for February 3, 2025, followed by a preliminary examination on February 10, 2025.

The public is reminded that criminal charges are merely allegations until proven guilty in court proceedings.