2 men accused of bilking elderly victim out of more than $700,000

Police said the suspects knew the victim.  

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2 men accused of bilking elderly victim out of more than $700,000 

Father and son steal $774,000 from elderly woman, court documents say

By Natalie Williamson

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A father and son are accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly Mobile woman.

Investigators say 54-year-old Charles Cook and his son, 30-year-old Dillon Cook, own a local lawn care company and worked for the victim.

Court documents show The Cooks took $774,00 out of the woman’s retirement account through checks and cash.

The DA’s Office says it noticed a pattern of large transactions going from the victim’s account to the father and son after an alleged deal was made where Charles Cook would be over the victim’s finances and future decisions.

But the DA’s Office says the victim never agreed to that deal.

Carl Bates, president of the Better Business Bureau for Central and South Alabama, said this is the worst case of elderly exploitation he’s seen in the state.

“We’ve seen three and $400,000 instances here in the state where people have lost that much. I’ve had people tell me they had to take out a mortgage on their home in order to pay the romance scam or the scammer that was scamming them,” Bates said. “I’ve never seen this much.”

The National Council on Aging says this form of elder abuse leads to an estimated $23.8 billion in losses every year.

Bates said it’s very important you know and trust the person who is overseeing your finances and make sure whoever you give access to, everything you agree on is in a written contract.

“You can be fine today and medically have issues tomorrow, and if you don’t have somebody who you’ve put in charge of your affairs, once you’ve been incapacitated to say, then you know it becomes a huge issue and you can be taken advantage of very easily,” he said. “I think it’s very fortunate that the District Attorney has found these people before they skip town and will be able to prosecute.”

The DA’s Office tells me this is one of the most despicable crimes they see.

The Cooks are both scheduled to be back in court Aug. 26 and have a combined bond of $140,000 

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Father and son steal $774,000 from elderly woman, court documents say 

Woman accused of bilking elderly victim out of thousands

A Melbourne woman faces multiple counts of fraud after investigators say she bilked thousands from an elderly woman.(Izard Co. Sheriff's Office)

By Region 8 Newsdesk

MELBOURNE, Ark. (KAIT) - A Melbourne woman faces multiple counts of fraud after investigators say she bilked thousands from an elderly woman.

Brenda Gayle Axtell is charged with 25 counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, 2 counts of forgery, and 1 count of abuse of an endangered or impaired person.

According to a news release from the Izard County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said she was staying at a local bed and breakfast after her home burned when Axtell, who was working with the Meals on Wheels program, befriended her.

The 83-year-old victim reportedly told investigators Axtell and her husband, Steve Doran, allowed her to put a new camping trailer on their property.

When the victim was hospitalized in July, she gave Axtell her credit card to replace a phone she had lost.

The day after she was admitted to the hospital, investigators said Axtell obtained a hand-written Power of Attorney and began making withdrawals from the victim’s account.

“Withdrawals were made from various banks in Melbourne, Mountain View, and Batesville, along with purchases at Walmart, Tractor Supply Company, and Home Depot,” the release stated.

According to the affidavit, the cumulative amount of withdrawals and point-of-sale transactions Axtell made on the victim’s card totaled $10,645.87.

The victim “adamantly denied” ever giving Axtell consent to use her credit cards in that manner.

After reviewing the case, Judge David E. Miller found probable cause to arrest Axtell and set her bond at $100,000.

The bond was later reduced, and Axtell was released on a $25,000 bond with the condition she surrenders her passport.

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Woman accused of bilking elderly victim out of thousands