All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Fremont County, WY) – The case involving former Assistant Director of the Shoshoni Senior Center Jeannie Kroenke has been bound to District Court, with an arraignment hearing scheduled for August 17. Kroenke was arrested and charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult back in July.
According to the case affidavit filed on July 10, the Shoshoni Police Department (SPD) was contacted by a representative from a local bank “regarding financial exploitation of an elderly adult.”
The representative reported that Kroenke’s account was being monitored after several large checks from a 93-year-old Shoshoni resident were deposited into it. The bank’s secrecy manager reported that the handwriting on a recently deposited check was “noticeably different from the handwriting on previous checks,” the affidavit states. The secrecy manager had also observed that a check dated on September 29, 2025, had “apparently been altered from $5,000 to $15,000.”
Law enforcement soon spoke with the 93-year-old individual, who authorized the bank to release copies of the suspected checks from her account to investigators, of which there were nine made to Kroenke. The nine checks payable to Kroenke totaled $33,400 and ranged in date from April 17, 2025 to June 23, 2026.
When law enforcement spoke with the 93-year-old about the checks payable to Jeannie, she “acknowledged writing some checks to help with medical expenses” for a relative of Kroenke’s, but “denied writing Jeannie a check for $15,000.” She also stated that she had written a check for $6,200 while they were at the Shoshoni Senior Center, which she believed was “intended as a donation to a historical-preservation project being conducted by the Senior Center.”
On July 10, the Shoshoni Police Department conducted an interview with Kroenke, during which she “admitted receiving multiple checks” from the 93-year-old, the affidavit continues. Kroenke explained that she had “offered to help” with the previously mentioned medical expenses, and also alleged that she would “sometimes give her a check for $1,000 and tell her to ‘go have fun.'”
When investigators told Kroenke that one of the checks “appeared to have been altered from $5,000 to $15,000,” she “immediately denied altering the check” and stated that she “would not do that to (her).”
“I thought it was for $5,000, and when I deposited it, the teller told me it was $15,000, I was overjoyed,” Kroenke told law enforcement, claiming that she called the 93-year-old upon finding out, who told her to “go ahead and deposit it.”
Kroenke stated that she gave $10,000 to another relative as “repayment of money she owed” and that she used the remaining funds for “rent, travel, medication for (the first relative mentioned), and other expenses.”
Investigators then questioned Kroenke about the $6,200 check, which she said she used for “medication, travel, and other basic expenses.” When law enforcement informed Kroenke that the 93-year-old “recalled asking her to help prepare a check as a donation to the Senior Center’s historical-preservation project,” Kroenke claimed that she was “referring to a different check,” and further stated that the 93-year-old had become “increasingly confused during the preceding several months and would sometimes mistake (her) for other people.”
The affidavit goes on to state that investigators asked Kroenke whether anyone else knew that she had been receiving money from the 93-year-old; Kroenke stated that no one else was aware of the payments. Kroenke acknowledged that, “because of her position at the Senior Center, it would look improper for her to accept money from a client,” and stated that she “knew it was wrong and felt bad about it,” but claimed that she “needed the money for her (relative).”
The affidavit also notes that the 93-year-old “lives alone and relies upon the Senior Center for daily meals, transportation, and other assistance with her daily needs because of her advanced age and physical limitations.” The affidavit states that she regularly uses a wheelchair for mobility and that during the investigator’s conversations with her, she had “difficulty recalling and explaining information and appeared to become confused easily.”
The affidavit concludes by stating that “Based upon (her) advanced age, physical limitations, reliance upon others for meals and transportation, and observed confusion, I believe that (the 93-year-old) was unable to manage and take care of herself and/or her money, assets, or property without assistance as a result of advanced age and physical or mental disability.”
In the days following the SPD’s initial press release announcing the charge and arrest, the Shoshoni Senior Center’s Board of Directors issued a statement affirming their dedication to providing quality care for seniors while they cooperate with the law enforcement investigation.
As stated above, Kroenke is set to be arraigned on August 17.
The maximum sentence for a felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult charge is 10 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
County 10 will provide additional details as they become available, which can be viewed here.