Defraud of Senior
Not Guilty
State of Florida v. “DG”
DG was the Sergeant in charge of supervising the financial crimes unit of a law enforcement agency with countywide jurisdiction. After a lengthy investigation DG was fired, arrested, and charged with engaging in an organized scheme to defraud a ninety-three year old man of nearly $100,000, along with 23 other related felony offenses. The State alleged that, after DG was initially called out to investigate a theft at the elderly victim’s home, he began a visiting the man several times each week in order establish a friendship and gain the man’s trust. The State alleged that over the next several months DG stole over $80,000 in cash, and approximately $20,000 worth of valuable collectible items from the victim’s home and safety deposit box. During the course of the alleged scheme, law enforcement became suspicious of DG’s activities and began following him. Ultimately, DG’s supervisors because suspicious of his activities and, with the victim’s consent, installed covert cameras in and around the victim’s home in hopes of catching DG in the act of stealing money. Eventually, law enforcement did obtain video footage of DG removing a large stack of cash from a hidden safe on the victim’s bookshelf. Law enforcement also obtained DG’s bank records, which showed that during the course of the investigation, DG had deposited tens of thousands of dollars in cash into his bank account. Additionally, law enforcement obtained an insurance ledger which listed all of the valuable items contained in the elderly victim’s safety deposit box. On the same three days that DG was captured on bank surveillance footage carrying a large black case into the safety deposit box room, law enforcement learned that DG had pawned items listed on the ledger at various pawn shops within minutes of leaving the bank where the elderly victim’s safety deposit box was kept. When confronted with the evidence, DG offered a full detailed video-taped confession, which was played at his trial. Notwithstanding all this evidence, Attorney Prince was able to get four of the charges dismissed and obtain a NOT GUILTY verdict on eighteen of the charges. The jury hung on two of the charges, but the State, having been thoroughly beaten and embarrassed, dropped those charges following the trial.