By Shereen Siewert
A 40-year-old Wausau woman convicted of stealing rent payments from an elderly man she helped care for will pay restitution in the case, but an amount has not yet been set.
Holly R. Mecikalski initially faced charges in Marathon County Circuit Court of theft by false representation and theft with special facts. The charges were filed Sept. 2 after an investigation by the Everest Metro Police Department.
As part of a plea agreement, Mecikalski was convicted of theft between $5,000 and $10,000, a felony, while the special facts charge was dismissed. She pleaded no contest in March and was convicted with a withheld sentence – and placed on probation. That means the court did not impose a sentence, instead ordering her to be placed under the supervision of the Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections.
Police say Mecikalski, between 2017 and 2019, cashed 11 separate $650 money orders the victim intended to use for rent and deposited them into her own bank account. The rent, at a Weston apartment complex that houses clients with a range of disabilities, remained unpaid.
The alleged victim in the crime is a then-72-year-old resident with Parkinson’s and several additional health issues, according to court records. Mecikalski was an employee who was tasked with assisting clients with general living activities along with errands and appointments. An investigation began when a banking representative brought the suspicious activity to the organization’s regional director.
Mecikalski is no longer employed at the apartment complex.
A restitution hearing was scheduled for April 20, but a notice of hearing was returned to the court. A future court date to address the issue has not yet been set.
