Rochester Man Sentenced for Stealing Thousands of Dollars From Vulnerable Adult

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man has been sentenced for bullying a vulnerable adult into giving him thousands of dollars. 

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21-year-old Bill Gum Benjamin was charged last fall with three felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. 

Under a plea agreement that was finalized in May, the criminal complaint was amended and he admitted to a felony theft charge. 

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Rochester Man Avoids Prison for Stealing Thousands of Dollars from Vulnerable Adult

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office began investigating the case after receiving a report of a theft. A woman told investigators that Benjamin had been forcing her son, who the criminal complaint says is autistic, to give him money.

The victim's mother became involved after his phone was shut off for nonpayment and she examined her son's bank statements. She told investigators that she discovered his balance had dropped for more than $40,000 to nothing over the previous year, the charges say.

The complaint says the investigator spoke to the victim, who indicated he met Benjamin while working at a business in Southeast Rochester in 2023, and at some point, complied with the request from Benjamin for some money. 

The victim also stated that after a few more money requests, Benjamin began forcing the victim into his car and would physically push him around.

Benjamin would call the victim's bank to verify his account balance before driving the man to a bank branch in Southwest Rochester and forcing him to withdraw money, the charges say. 

The victim told law enforcement Benjamin would wait outside his workplace and follow him in his car almost every week on the day he was paid.

Benjamin was accused of taking more than $7700 from the victim in September 2023 and an additional $22,900 between October 2023 and the end of March last year.

It was also alleged that an additional $10,900 was taken by Benjamin between April and the end of September last year.

Benjamin was sentenced Monday to five years probation. He was also fined $500.