HAYS – A Hays man has been found guilty of mistreatment of an elder person, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Matthew A. Hayes, 43, yesterday pleaded no contest in Ellis County District Court to one felony count of mistreatment of an elder person.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the attorney general’s Fraud and Abuse Litigation Division and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, which discovered that between December 2016 and September 2018, Hayes served as his mother’s power of attorney and used her funds for his personal benefit rather than for her benefit.

As part of the plea, Hayes agreed to pay $39,396.17 in restitution to the victim’s estate.

Chief Judge Glenn Braun took the plea, and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date by the court.