JACKSON — An Ocean Springs contractor gets prison time after pleading guilty to felony exploitation of a vulnerable person.
Attorney General Jim Hood, in a news release Tuesday, said Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Kathy King Jackson sentenced 55-year-old Kevin J. Kirk to 10 years for exploitation. Jackson also fined Kirk $1,500 and ordered him to pay $221,950 in restitution.
Hood’s office says Kirk was hired to fix damage on a woman’s house. Authorities say Kirk started spending more time with her, acting as her caretaker. He ultimately gained the family’s trust and was given power of attorney over her affairs.
The woman’s grandson, who was recently made a signatory on her bank accounts, discovered that more than $100,000 had been withdrawn from her accounts.
Hood says Kirk admitted taking the money.
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