AG Ellison charges former police officer with financially exploiting vulnerable adult

Minnesota’s top prosecutor has charged a former northern Minnesota police officer with financially exploiting a vulnerable adult.

35-year-old Laci Marie Silgjord, whose employment with Cloquet Police ended in June 2022, allegedly met the 78-year-old victim through her job, then represented herself as the victim’s fiduciary and gained access to her bank accounts, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office said Friday.

The victim died about five months after meeting Silgjord, who then allegedly tried to get the victim’s entire estate despite no written plan awarding anything to her.

Ellison’s office is handling the case to avoid any conflict of interest in the Carlton County Attorney’s Office and charged Silgjord with one count of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, one count of gross misdemeanor financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of felony attempted theft by swindle. The highest charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine while the attempted theft charge carries up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Silgjord is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Sept. 21.