A former assistant director at the Shoshoni Senior Center is accused of exploiting a 93-year-old woman who depended on the center for meals, transportation and other daily assistance, allegedly accepting and depositing $33,400 in checks from the woman over a 14-month period.
Jeannie Kroenke is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, a felony that alleges she used her position of trust to financially exploit an elderly client of the senior center.
A probable cause affidavit filed by Shoshoni Police Chief Christopher Konija claims the alleged victim lives alone, relies on the senior center for services and uses a wheelchair.
Investigators wrote that the woman became confused easily, sometimes mistook Kroenke for other people and was unable to manage her finances without assistance.
The allegations have shaken one of Shoshoni's most important community institutions, where older residents gather for meals, activities and transportation services.
Bank Spots Suspicious Check
The investigation began last Thursday after Wyoming Community Bank contacted the Shoshoni Police Department about suspected elder financial exploitation.
BMO Bank flagged one of the older woman's recent checks after an employee noticed handwriting that appeared inconsistent with the rest of the document.
Police allege nine checks totaling $33,400 were written between April 17, 2025, and June 23, 2026, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, the affidavit says.
Investigators say all nine checks were deposited into Kroenke's personal bank account.
One of the checks appeared to have originally been written for $5,000 before being altered to $15,000, says the affidavit.
Kroenke initially denied changing the amount. Later, investigators wrote that she acknowledged believing the check was for $5,000 until a bank teller told her it was worth $15,000.
"I was overjoyed," Kroenke allegedly told investigators.
She later claimed she contacted the 93-year-old, who told her to go ahead and deposit the larger amount.
'Go Have Fun'
During an interview with police, Kroenke acknowledged receiving multiple checks from the senior center client, but said the money had been given voluntarily.
Kroenke told police that the woman wanted to help pay expenses related to the mental health treatment for a family member of Kroenke's and would sometimes hand her $1,000 while telling her to "go have fun."
Kroenke said she also used $10,000 of the 93-year-old's money repay money that she owed a family member.
Another disputed transaction involved a $6,200 check.
Konija wrote in the affidavit that the 93-year-old believed she had intended that money as a donation to the Shoshoni Senior Center's historical preservation project.
Kroenke told investigators the woman was confusing that check with another donation.
Near the end of the interview, police say Kroenke acknowledged that accepting money from a client looked inappropriate because of her position at the senior center and admitted no one else knew the older woman had been giving her money.
Layers Of Oversight
For many residents, the Shoshoni Senior Center serves as far more than a place to eat lunch.
The center provides meals, transportation, home-delivered food and other support services while also hosting community events that draw seniors from across the region.
"It's really important part of our whole town," Shoshoni Mayor Joel Highsmith told Cowboy State Daily.
Highsmith said the center serves not only Shoshoni residents, but seniors from surrounding rural communities and Riverton, calling it "a great institution."
He urged residents not to judge the organization based on the allegations against one former employee.
"If the allegations are true, it was an act of one person and not an act of the senior center as a whole," Highsmith said. "It's one individual, it's not the senior center."
Highsmith added that smaller communities often have fewer layers of oversight than larger organizations, but said situations like this should prompt a review of internal safeguards to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Board Meeting
Shoshoni Senior Center Executive Director Rikki Neale confirmed to Cowboy State Daily that the center's board of directors was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss the matter. She declined further comment ahead of the meeting.
Kroenke made her initial appearance Monday in Fremont County Circuit Court. Her bond was set at $10,000 cash only or a $25,000 surety bond.
As of Wednesday afternoon, she was no longer listed as an inmate at the Fremont County Detention Center.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. July 22.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
