Local Business Owner Arrested for Exploitation of Elderly Male for Stealing Over $34,000, Residence

A Mims woman faces felony charges for allegedly exploiting a 70-year-old man with a traumatic brain injury, draining his bank accounts, seizing his home, and racking up thousands in unauthorized credit card debt, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in the Circuit Court of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.

Crystal Ann Hackney, 38, of Mims, is accused of exploiting Dennis Taschner, a vulnerable elderly man who trusted her to manage his finances. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) alleges Hackney siphoned over $34,000 from Taschner’s bank accounts via Zelle transfers, fraudulently acquired a home for $1,000, and maxed out his credit card on luxury purchases, leaving him destitute and hospitalized under a Baker Act.

Crystal Hackney, BCSO Booking Image via Arrest Warrent

How the Exploitation Unfolded
According to the affidavit, Taschner met Hackney in 2022 at a local Save-A-Lot store. Taschner, who suffered speech difficulties and mobility limitations after a car accident, sought help managing his finances and daily life. Hackney, who owns C’s Waffles in Downtown Titusville, offered assistance and was added as a joint owner to his Wells Fargo account in March 2023.

Investigators say Hackney quickly gained control of Taschner’s assets. Bank records show she withdrew $25,000 in cash from his account in March 2023, claiming Taschner wanted to buy a trailer. Over the next year, she allegedly transferred $34,064 from his account to her personal Bank of America account via Zelle, often in small increments to avoid detection. By July 2024, his account balance plummeted to $0.86.

Taschner’s USAA credit card, which had a $0 balance and $5,500 limit in March 2023, was allegedly maxed out by Hackney on purchases from Gucci, Calvin Klein, and hotels. By August 2024, the card carried a $6,215 balance.

Property Seized Through Questionable Deed
The affidavit reveals Hackney convinced Taschner to sign a Quit Claim Deed in March 2023, transferring ownership of his Mims home on Cambridge Drive to herself and a boyfriend for $1,000.

Taschner told investigators he believed Hackney would sell the home and donate the proceeds to St Jude’s Hospital. Instead, Hackney renovated the property, listed it for rent for $1,000 on Facebook, and moved Taschner into a camper.

When confronted, Hackney claimed the $1,000 sale was “fair” due to the home’s “deplorable condition,” despite its market value exceeding $100,000. Property records confirm Taschner purchased the home for $72,000 in 2016.

Hospitalization and Discovery
Taschner’s financial ruin came to light in April 2024 after he was hospitalized under a Baker Act for a suicide attempt. Nurses discovered his near-empty bank account, prompting an investigation. By then, Hackney had cut off his access to his accounts, identification, and phone, according to the affidavit.

“She took control over my life and left me with nothing,” Taschner told investigators in a recorded interview. “I trusted her, and she betrayed me.”

Hackney’s Defense and Investigation
Hackney, interviewed in August 2024, denied wrongdoing. She claimed Taschner authorized all transactions and insisted she reimbursed herself for expenses like his $650/month lot rent and hotel stays. However, she failed to provide receipts or proof of a valid Power of Attorney, which she verbally cited but never substantiated.

BCSO Agent Candice Watson, a Certified Fraud Examiner, noted Hackney’s Bank of America records showed spending on liquor, clothing, and personal bills—not Taschner’s care. Hackney also listed the Cambridge Drive home for sale in late 2024, but the deal stalled when title companies flagged the suspicious deed.

Legal Consequences and Victim’s Recovery
Taschner, now residing in a Titusville behavioral health facility, has been assigned a fiduciary to manage his finances. The VA is investigating benefit checks mailed to his former address, which Hackney allegedly intercepted.

Hackney faces charges under Florida Statute 825.103(2)(b) for exploiting an elderly person, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. A warrant for her arrest was signed February 4, 2025 and she was arrested by Brevard Couty Sheriff’s Deputies on February 6, 2025

BCSO urges anyone with information to contact their Economic Crimes Unit at 321-633-7162. 

This story is based on court records and affidavits. Charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Full Article & Source:
Local Business Owner Arrested for Exploitation of Elderly Male for Stealing Over $34,000, Residence