KANNAPOLIS — Police have charged a Greensboro man with attempting to financially exploit an 87-year-old Kannapolis woman.

According to a statement from the Kannapolis Police Department:

On April 25, Charles Jason Turner was in Kannapolis going door to door as a salesman for Capital Meats. Turner encountered an 87- year-old woman at her house on Centergrove Road and attempted to sell her a large quantity of frozen meat valued at $400.

The woman, who suffers from a diminished mental capacity, did not have enough money to pay for the meat. Turner and another employee then drove the woman in their company van to a local Wells Fargo Bank.

Turner attempted to get the woman to make a withdrawal from her bank account in order to pay for the meat. Bank employees realized the woman was not in a state of mind to comprehend what she was doing or what was going on and alerted police to the situation.

The victim in this case was not injured in any way and was taken back to her residence by a relative who had arrived at the bank.

After an in-depth investigation into the incident, a warrant for arrest was obtained for Turner for the charge of exploitation of an elder adult through a business relationship. He turned himself in at the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office on May 2 and was released after immediately posting a $250 bond.

Turner has also been fired from his job with Capital Meats.

“We take these types of cases very seriously and will not tolerate our elderly being harassed, pressured or exploited in any manner,” said Kannapolis Police Chief Woody Chavis. “I am very pleased that my officers were able to track this individual down before he could target someone else.

“We want to remind all of our citizens to be wary of salesmen of any kind who approach you and try to pressure you or trick you into buying their product, make repairs to your home, or get you involved in something that sounds too good to be true. Always deal with reputable dealers, and contractors, and always get a second opinion.”