Thomas Chapman Hood, a 68-year-old Newport Coast real estate agent, was charged on Tuesday with financial elder abuse and 19 counts of forgery on Tuesday, the Orange County District Attorney's Office Chief of Staff Susan Kang Schroeder said. He was arrested by Orange County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday, and no bail has been set.
"Hood is being held on $534,850 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond," Kang Schroeder said. His arraignment date is to be determined.
Hood was charged with 19 felony counts of forgery, one felony count of first degree residential burglary to commit larceny and financial elder abuse, and one felony count of theft from an elder, with sentencing enhancement allegations for non-accomplices being present during residential burglary, aggravated white collar crime over $500,000, and property loss of over $200,000 according to the OCDA release.
"At the time of the crime, Hood was employed part-time as an assistant to the trustee of 95-year-old Jane Doe’s bank accounts," she said. "The defendant worked from the home office of the trustee’s secretary in Orange."
On March 1, 2015, Hood is accused of stealing Jane Doe’s check books from the home office while the secretary and homeowner were in other rooms.
"The defendant is accused of taking advantage of his position of trust, knowing Jane Doe had dementia and resided in a senior care facility," Kang Schroeder said. "The secretary and trustee did not authorize Hood to access any checks for personal or business use."
Between March 17, 2015, and Sept. 30, 2016, Hood is accused of forging the trustee’s signature on dozens of checks for a loss of $534,850 dollars, according to the OCDA's office.
The defendant is accused of depositing the unauthorized checks into his personal bank account and using the stolen funds to pay for his personal expenses, including credit card bills and a 2-week vacation in Paris, France.
On Oct. 6, 2016, the trustee discovered the fraud when he attempted to make a payment from Jane Doe’s bank to her assisted living home which was denied due to insufficient funds.
The trustee contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), who investigated this case. Hood was arrested today, Feb. 8, 2017, by OCSD.
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Newport Real Estate Agent Charged With Financial Elder Abuse
I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison.
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