By Roxana Orellana

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Two men are facing felony charges for allegedly exploiting a 74-year-old family member.

Jay Lee Allen, 29, is charged with one count of exploiting a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony; unlawful use of a financial transaction card, a second-degree felony; and unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial transaction card, a third-degree felony.

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The woman, who is Allen’s grandmother, told police that between Dec. 22, 2011, and January 2012 someone used her credit card 33 times and withdrew more than $8,000, court documents say.

The woman recognized her grandson as the one making the withdrawals when she saw credit union surveillance photos. Allen told police he had stolen his grandmother’s credit card on Dec. 22 when she was hospitalized, charging documents say. Police say Allen was given the key to his grandma’s apartment and asked to take care of her dog while she was in the hospital. Allen told police that he estimated he took about $10,000 from the account and used it to buy Oxycodone pills, court documents say.

While reviewing her account further, the woman noticed another set of 29 transactions from Nov. 2, 2011, to Jan. 7, 2012, of more than $2,500. The woman suspected it was her 53-year-old son, Kenneth Jay Allen, police said.

Kenneth Jay Allen first told a detective that his father had given him the credit card to buy medication for his disabled son, court documents say. But he later admitted he had used his mother’s card without her consent, making at least 21 transactions, police said.

Kenneth Jay Allen is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, unlawful use of financial transaction card, and unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial transaction card. All three are third-degree felonies. Neither the woman nor her husband said they had given their son permission to use their credit card, charging documents say.

rorellana@sltrib.com