Cedar Rapids woman charged with theft of more than $11,000

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids woman was arrested last week on charges that she stole over $11,000 from her aunt while acting as her aunt’s financial power of attorney.

Tammy Koenen, 55, is charged with dependent adult abuse and first-degree theft after police say she stole $11,473 from the 79-year-old aunt between September and January.

According to a criminal complaint, the aunt has been diagnosed with dementia and can’t make financial decisions. Koenen was her financial power of attorney and had access to her account.

Koenen admitted to police she had been “making weekly payments to herself for her services, giving loans to herself and ‘rounding up’ when transferring money to her account from the victim’s account,” the criminal complaint states.

A warrant was issued March 7 for Koenen’s arrest. She was arrested and had her first appearance in court Saturday, where records show a judge set a $15,000 bail.

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