Sonoma man pleads no-contest in theft from seniors

A Sonoma man was convicted of elder theft after he pleaded no-contest to four felony charges on Friday, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office said.

Dwayne Kershner, 53, had agreed to sell at his Sonoma consignment store items from some senior residents but failed to ever give them their cut of the sale, the District Attorney’s Office said. Many of the items were never returned to the victims, officials said.

Kershner did write some seniors checks but had no funds in his bank accountant, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office.

“This defendant took advantage of his position of trust with these victims,” District Attorney Jill Ravitch said in the statement. “His actions were made more egregious by the fact that he targeted the elderly.”

Kershner pleaded no-contest to two felony counts of elder theft and two felony counts of grand theft in front of the Judge Robert LaForge. Kershner is scheduled to be sentenced June 10.