Spruce Creeker accused of ripping off dementia patient back in jail after skipping court date

by Staff Report 

A resident of Spruce Creek South who is charged with ripping off an 81-year-old dementia patient is back in jail after skipping a court date.

Brenda Joyce Bova, 76, was booked without bond Friday evening at the Marion County Jail after forfeiting her previous $8,500 bond by ignoring a mandatory court date.

Brenda Bova

Bova had been arrested earlier this year after it was discovered that she and two accomplices had drained the financial resources of the woman who lived across the street in the 55+ community in Summerfield.

Bova was the third suspect apprehended in connection with the elder exploitation investigation, following the previous arrests of Brenda Lee and Paul Rhodes, who also are charged with taking advantage of the fragile woman.

According to an arrest affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Bova had been the victim’s neighbor for approximately five years and was well aware of her diminished mental state. Bova allegedly told other neighbors she was going to get Power of Attorney (POA) to take over the victim’s bank accounts, and admitted to investigators she knew the victim had to write notes just to remember basic tasks, like going to the bank.

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) officially deemed the victim mentally incapacitated and lacking the capacity to consent earlier this year.

Despite knowing this, Bova allegedly acted as a co-conspirator and official witness on May 22 to help execute a fraudulent Durable POA, granting Lee primary control over the victim, while Bova established herself as the POA over the victim’s finances.

The affidavit alleges a disturbing pattern of financial abuse that quickly followed:

• Bova convinced the victim to stop using her original bank account and transfer approximately $30,000 into a new account.

• On June 25, Bova called the victim’s retirement company, TIAA. She deliberately impersonated the victim to bypass security protocols and liquidated $30,873.09 in annuity and retirement accounts. Bova falsely claimed the victim’s home was facing foreclosure and directed the funds to an account she and Lee controlled.

Bova and Lee facilitated the sale of the victim’s vehicle to Rhodes for just $5,000 in cash, despite its actual value being between $11,765 and $13,940. Rhodes flipped the car 32 days later for $8,000. Of the initial $5,000 cash, $2,000 remains unaccounted for.

When law enforcement and DCF investigators began looking into the depleted funds, Bova and Lee attempted to cover their tracks by fabricating and inflating business receipts, the affidavit stated. They altered a $400 notary receipt to show $825 and completely fabricated a $500 accounting receipt in the name of Lee’s boyfriend.

Bova also admitted to receiving a $460 check from the victim’s account, written by Lee, claiming it was for driving the victim “all over the place” and buying a couple of lunches.

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Spruce Creeker accused of ripping off dementia patient back in jail after skipping court date