Florida Man Faces Theft and Elder Abuse Charges After Stealing From Grandmother

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 17, 2012

Orlando police say that a Seminole County man stole more than $125,000 from his grandmother and went on a shopping spree. Investigators report that the 23-year-old suspect has a substance abuse problem and convinced his grandmother that he owed many thousands of dollars in court fees related to his addiction. They say that the man constructed an elaborate scheme to steal from his 78-year-old grandmother and told her that the funds were necessary to prevent him from being incarcerated. The victim told police that she gave her grandson nearly $180,000 before she became suspicious.

She told police that she received multiple phone calls from people claiming to be employees of the Seminole County Clerk of Court. The callers told her that her grandson’s court fines would need to be paid within a day or two or he would be apprehended and put in jail. During his investigation, an Orlando Police Department detective found that the man had never had more than $100,000 in court fines and that although the suspect has had several misdemeanor and felony arrests since 2010, he has never been convicted on the charges.

Police spoke with the suspect’s girlfriend during their investigation, who said that he was addicted to prescription painkillers such as Oxycodone, as well as cocaine. The suspect was arrested recently and is being held at the Orange County Jail on several charges.

There are many types of elder abuse, but financial abuse remains one of the most common. Scam artists target elders and try to gain access to their savings through a variety of different schemes. Sadly, they are often successful because many victims are reluctant to contact authorities. By the time victims learn that someone is stealing from them, thieves have often stolen sizable sums, and the victims don’t want anyone to know that they have been scammed.

If you know or suspect that an elderly person is suffering from some type of elder abuse, please contact the police as soon as possible. They may not know they are being abused or may be unable or unwilling to report the abuse themselves. If you or a member of your family has been abused and you would like to speak with an Orlando elder abuse attorney, call James O. Cunningham today at 800-425-2004. Mr. Cunningham can launch an immediate investigation, protect your rights, explain your legal options and help prevent further abuse, and he will help you seek damages against the abuser. Call today to speak with one of the most experienced Orlando personal injury lawyers in our area.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.