Man Cons Elderly Woman Out of $450K
Loneliness can cause anyone to easily trust a stranger who gives him or her the companionship they want. A man in Lake Butler befriended a 94-year-old woman and then swindled her out of nearly half a million dollars.
The 58-year-old man was self-employed owner of a lawn care service and was arrested for exploitation of an elderly person. The man had taken care of the victim’s lawn since 2008 and had coerced the elderly woman into putting his name on her financial accounts. After he had financial control, he began to withdraw money from the woman’s accounts. He used her checks and money transfers. The woman had become the beneficiary of a large sum of money and the man was aware and had begun to take much more money from her. He had also convinced the woman to make him the power of attorney over her affairs and to edit her will so he would be the sole executor and beneficiary, although the woman stated that she never gave him permission to do so. The bond for the man was set at $125,000.
No one should ever have to be taken advantage of by someone they think they can trust. This man clearly saw an opportunity to exploit this woman and cost her nearly half a million dollars. This type of situation can happen to you or your loved ones. Elderly financial exploitation is a heartless crime and the guilty should be held accountable for their crimes.
