A Kila man is facing seven felony charges after authorities accused him of taking advantage of an elderly couple in Lincoln County.

The charges against Joel Wallace Stevens, 47, include two each for elder exploitation, exploitation of an incapacitated person or vulnerable adult, theft, and one count of forgery.

Stevens is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Monday in Lincoln County District Court. Stevens posted $100,000 bond on July 7.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office investigators began their inquiry Sept. 15, 2025, when the daughter of one of the alleged victims called law enforcement. She said her 69-year-old father and his partner, a 77-year-old woman, were living in a cabin on Happy’s Loop near Happy’s Inn, adjacent to Lavon Lake. 

She said the woman sold her home in the Flathead Valley where the couple lived for 34 years before moving to Lincoln County. The daughter said they made $230,000 from the sale. She said her father’s partner deposited the money in her personal account and some in his account. She said both the couple were in poor health and needed help at the lake property.

The daughter also told investigators her father’s work friend introduced the couple to his son, Stevens. He took them to medical appointments and got their groceries. She said Stevens gained access to the woman’s checkbook and debit card. The woman alleged Stevens withdrew money from the 77-year-old woman’s account and forged checks to himself. She said Stevens completely drained the account of all available funds.

She also said she spoke to Gino Cook at Adult Protective Services (APS). County detective Brandon Huff confirmed a report was made with APS and Cook said he intended to forward his report to the county because he believed the elderly couple was financially exploited by Stevens.

On Nov. 17, 2025, county det. Cody DeWitt took the case and learned the couple lived at the Happy’s Loop cabin since June 2024. DeWitt reported that Stevens allegedly stole money by forging checks, paying his bills on the couple’s accounts and withdrawing money from their accounts using ATM machines. By September 2025, Stevens allegedly drew down the account by about $209,000, leaving just $10,926.27.

The alleged victims’ daughter then helped them move into a nursing home in the Kalispell area. The facility sought four months of bank statements and when the woman retrieved them she realized the extent of the situation.

“I just about died when I looked at what happened,” she said.

She said Stevens paid for a storage unit for about a year with her father’s debit card. She also said the circumstances which contributed to the couple being taken advantage of by Stevens included their persisting medical issues, not tracking finances and health care, the elderly woman’s declining memory and mental capacity as well as the her father’s relationship with the father of the accused.

On Dec. 2, 2025, the detectives interviewed the alleged victims. The 69-year-old man said he trusted Stevens because he was the son of his “very best friend.” Later, the man said he noticed a $600 withdrawal for a “little bit of stuff.” When he called the bank, he learned Stevens allegedly took $1,200.

That resulted in the couple taking back their debit cards. They also realized Stevens allegedly stole one of their check books and was writing checks to himself and other places.

The 69-year-old man also said the day he and his partner moved into the care center, Stevens allegedly wrote himself a $3,500 check, despite the fact they hadn’t spoken in months and the defendant hadn’t done any work for them in some time.

Det. DeWitt’s investigation also revealed the relationship and agreements between Stevens and the 69-year-old man. DeWitt reported Stevens performed a variety of tasks for them, including grocery shopping, checking mail, picking up medications, rides to appointments, laundry and other things.

DeWitt also reported that the 77-year-old woman hadn’t written any personal checks until Feb. 3, 2025. On that date, personal checks began to appear on the bank statement. They totaled $75,049. Twenty-one checks were allegedly written to Stevens, totaling $73,420. ATM withdrawals from her account totaled $59,281.

Deputy county attorney Lauren O’Neill is prosecuting the case while Daniel Wood is representing Stevens.

A conviction for theft as well as exploitation of an incapacitated person may result in a 10-year prison term.