Montana Elder Justice Unit Secures First Exploitation Conviction

AG: Montana News

Filed March 4th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

The Montana Attorney General's Elder Justice Unit secured its first conviction and sentence for financial exploitation of seniors. A Big Horn County woman received a 10-year deferred sentence and was ordered to pay over $100,000 in restitution for exploiting her mother and stepfather.

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What changed

The Montana Department of Justice's Elder Justice Unit has announced its first conviction and sentence under its mandate, which was permanently established in 2023. Kristel Marie Blair was convicted in August 2025 on two counts of exploitation of an older person, resulting in a 10-year deferred imposition of sentence and an order to pay $101,171 in restitution. The exploitation involved Blair improperly using a Power of Attorney to transfer over $76,000 from her elderly mother and stepfather's joint account for her own benefit.

This case highlights the operationalization of Montana's Elder Justice Unit and serves as a precedent for future investigations and prosecutions. Regulated entities and individuals involved in managing finances for elderly or incapacitated persons should be aware of the strict prohibitions against self-compensation and unauthorized transactions under Power of Attorney agreements. The unit is actively investigating 12 other cases, indicating a continued focus on elder financial exploitation within the state. Reporting channels for suspected abuse and exploitation are provided for Montanans.

What to do next

Review Power of Attorney agreements for compliance with gift-giving and self-compensation clauses.
Ensure all financial transactions for elderly or incapacitated individuals are authorized and documented.
Report any suspected financial exploitation of seniors to the Montana Department of Justice.

Penalties

10-year deferred imposition of sentence and $101,171 in restitution.

Source document (simplified)

Published On: March 4, 2026 Categories: Drugs and Crime, Press Release HELENA – A Big Horn County woman received a 10-year deferred imposition of sentence and was ordered to pay $101,171 in restitution for financially exploiting her mother and stepfather, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today. This case marks the first conviction and sentence investigated and prosecuted by the Montana Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Unit, which was permanently created by the Legislature in 2023 and requested by Attorney General Knudsen.

Kristel Marie Blair was convicted in August 2025 on two counts of exploitation of an older person or incapacitated person as both victims were over the age of 65 when the crimes were committed.

In early 2019, Blair signed a Power of Attorney (POA) that allowed her to oversee her mother’s finances and authorized her to make gifts, including cash, to her mother’s family consistent with an “established pattern of giving.” However, the POA prohibited her from compensating herself.

In December 2019, Blair violated the POA when she wrote and deposited two checks worth $61,000 from her mother and stepfather’s joint account into her account purportedly as a “gift investment.”She violated the POA again in July 2020, when two additional transactions worth $15,840 were deposited into Blair’s account from the victims’ same joint account. Each transaction exceeded Blair’s authority under the POA and was not authorized by her stepfather. Blair is facing similar charges in Wyoming.

The case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation’s Elder Justice Unit, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Adult Protective Services, and the Sheridan County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Elder Justice Unit prosecutor Angie Rolando and former prosecutor Mike Fanning.

The Elder Justice Unit is currently investigating 12 active cases. To report financial exploitation and abuse of seniors, Montanans can contact the Montana Department of Justice at 406-444-3874.

Montanans can also report any phone, email, or mail scams to the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection at [email protected], or 406-444-4500 (toll-free: 800-481-6896), or online at https://dojmt.gov/office-of-consumer-protection/.

Montanans can report suspected cases of Medicaid fraud or elder abuse by calling the Medicaid Fraud hotline at 800-376-1115.