Port St. Lucie man accused of posing as licensed plumber, stealing $5,000 from Martin County woman

Robert Hibbert (Photo: ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

MARTIN COUNTY — A man previously convicted of exploiting others and stealing in Florida, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania has been accused of stealing $5,000 from a woman in Martin County.

On Feb. 11, Martin County Sheriff's Office detectives responded to a call from the woman's daughter about a possible fraudulent incident, according to a complaint affidavit.

The daughter told detectives Robert Hibbert, 57, of the 300 block of Northwest Concord Drive in Port St. Lucie, had exploited and stole from her mother while he was working on her plumbing in Martin County.

The woman's daughter said on Jan. 28 she looked for a plumber online and contacted Hibbert about fixing her washing machine.

Hibbert told the daughter he was a licensed plumber, but records detectives obtained showed he doesn't have the license. 

After the work was done, the woman paid Hibbert $145 for the job. The woman's mother then asked Hibbert to look at a clogged drain in her home, detectives said.

The mother told detectives Hibbert asked her for $240 for the job he had previously completed and had been paid for by her daughter. She said Hibbert told her the plumbing work she needed was extensive and "she would have toilet paper leaking into the front yard and home" if she didn't get it fixed soon.

Detectives said Hibbert charged the mother $9,100 for the second plumbing job. 

Detectives said the daughter asked a plumbing company to look at the invoice Hibbert gave her mother for the $9,100 job. The company told the daughter the job should have only cost about $1,000.

The women said she looked through her emergency cash fund and found $5,000 missing. She told detectives the only person that had access to that room was Hibbert while he was doing the plumbing work. 

The mother called Hibbert and demanded $8,100 back. Hibbert apologized and sent back $5,000 and asked the woman not to call 911.

Hibbert was arrested on charges of exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, grand theft, contracting without a license, and depositing with intent to defraud.

He was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail. Bond was set at $85,000.

Martin County sheriff's Detective Jennifer Jaques, who investigated the case, said Friday Hibbert was convicted in 1995 and 2000 in New Jersey on charges of theft by deception; and in 2011 and 2013 in Pennsylvania and Delaware, respectively, on charges of home improvement fraud.  

In 2017, Hibbert had an address in Vero Beach when a Palm Bay couple paid him more than $9,000 for home repairs that were not completed, according to an article in Florida Today. He identified himself as a licensed plumber. He was jailed in Indian River County on 10 charges related to work done on the Palm Bay home.

Jaques said there's a strong likelihood Hibbert took advantage of other people in Martin County. 

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Port St. Lucie man accused of posing as licensed plumber, stealing $5,000 from Martin County woman