The case against an Appleton man accused of stealing money from his disabled son is raising some awareness about another option that’s available to help protect trust funds.
WisPACT is a non-profit group that oversees trust funds for about 2,300 people in the state with special needs. Executive director Olivia Wong says they scrutinize every spending request to make sure they are benefitting the person the trust was intended for, not anyone else.
Beneficiaries specialist Eric DeGroot says they need a lot of documentation, before they’ll write a check. He says they look for red flags, to make sure the money is being spent, appropriately.
Prosecutors in Outagamie County have charged 48-year-old Todd Laseke with multiple felonies. Court records say he took about $367,000 from a nearly $1.4 million trust fund that was established for his son out of a medical malpractice lawsuit. The son, now an adult, suffered a brain injury when he was a child that left him permanently disabled. Laseke allegedly used the money on drugs, pornography, and travel.
WHBY