Man sentenced to prison after swindling elderly couples out of millions

FLINT, Mich. -- A Grand Blanc man was sentenced to serve up to a maximum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of embezzlement over $100,000.

Jason Bescoe, 48, was sentenced Wednesday.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Bescoe swindled at least 10 clients of more than $4 million in a fraudulent financial investment scheme.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about Bescoe in 2017. There were allegations that he was embezzling money from clients who had trusted him to handle their financial investments.

“Embezzlement cases can be complex with thousands of documents and records to sort through, analyze, and piece together,” said Leyton. “I am pleased that with a lot of hard work by my staff and investigators from the Genesee County Sheriff Office’s Elder Abuse Task Force we were able to convict Jason Bescoe and hold him accountable for his actions while at the same time securing restitution for victims who had stood to lose a lot of their hard earned money."

Full Article & Source:
Man sentenced to prison after swindling elderly couples out of millions

Housing Authority coordinator charged with swindling elderly man

A woman who coordinates senior services for the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority was indicted Wednesday on charges that she and her husband swindled more than $100,000 out of an elderly man they befriended at a karaoke bar.

A Clark County grand jury returned the indictment charging Yvette Mendes-Hayes and Lawrence Paul Hayes with exploitation of an elderly person and theft. The charges follow an investigation into allegations of exploitation of Peter Antonucci, who was 87 when he met the married couple while out doing karaoke in 2015.

Mendes-Hayes earned a taxpayer-funded salary of $55,000 last year in her role providing housing services to senior citizens. In that same year, she is accused of defrauding an aging but lucid man of the wealth he had left by, among other things, persuading him to sell his home.

According to the arrest warrant filed in the case, Antonucci developed a friendship with the couple after meeting them. Antonucci told authorities that Hayes told him to sell his townhouse, so “they could buy a bigger house and he and Yvette would take care of Peter.”

Antonucci obliged and sold his Summerlin townhouse for $150,000, with the help of a real estate agent who is a friend of the Hayes couple. The arrest warrant said that Hayes and Mendes-Hayes used the proceeds of the townhouse to purchase a North Las Vegas home but that Antonucci’s name was not listed in any title documents for the new house. The three of them moved into the house in the summer of 2015.

“Peter said that he was told to stay in his room and had to ask for permission to leave the house,” the arrest warrant said. “He now believes that he was defrauded by the Hayes and they had planned to exploit him.”

Antonucci told authorities that Hayes told him he could not be on the deed because his only income is Social Security benefits. He also told police that Hayes took the $2,200 in monthly Social Security payments and transferred it into his own account to use the money for mortgage payment, living expenses, and house furnishings.

Hayes collects disability benefits and is not employed. He has a criminal record that include fraud offenses in Michigan.

Filings in the case accuse the couple of belittling Antonucci, who told police “he would stay in his bedroom most of the time because every time he came out he was ordered away or criticized by Paul (Hayes).”

Court filings indicate that Antonucci left the house in May 2016, taking only his clothes, guitars and two handguns. He left furniture and other belongings with the Hayes, who authorities say changed all the locks after Antonucci left.

Full Article & Source:
Housing Authority coordinator charged with swindling elderly man

Two Summerville Men Face Felony Charges

Two Summerville men face felony charges for swindling elderly residents for money, according to Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader.

After receiving numerous complaints, investigators discovered the two men allegedly targeted the elderly. Now both Christopher Jay Caldwell, 49, and Scotty Matthew Caldwell, 36, face allegations that they exploited the elderly for money.

The two men are accused of offering to cut shrubs or trees for elderly homeowners for a fee. Often the two Caldwells would ask for part of the money upfront but then never returned to complete the task.

"We received many complaints they were getting money and not returning to do the job. It seemed like all the victims were over 65 years old," Sheriff Mark Schrader said.

The sheriff said some of the elderly victims would not report being scammed. Sometimes a family member would discover the Caldwells' scheme and report it, the sheriff said.

"Most of it was uncovered by family members," Schrader said.

Reports about the Caldwells' scheme came from residents across the county. In June, an 83-year-old man on Scoggins Trail was approached by Christopher Caldwell and asked to do yard work.

"The work has never been performed. [Chris] has two prior theft convictions," a warrant states.

Christopher Caldwell disputes the charges. He says the sheriff and investigators have it wrong. The culprit is Scotty, according to Christopher.

Scotty is accused of offering to cut trees and brush for an elderly man on Dover's Cut Road, Lyerly. That happened in October 2015 and the work hasn't been performed.

"The work still has not been performed after being contacted multiple times. [Scotty] has two prior theft convictions, this being his third offense," a warrant states.

"I don't know how they would identify who to target, but they would approach the person and ask to do some yard work," Sheriff Schrader said.

Christopher was charged with three counts of exploitation and intimidation of disabled or elder adult and three charges of theft by deception.

Scotty was charged with exploitation and intimidation of disabled or elder adult and theft by deception, according to jail reports.

Full Article & Source:
Two Summerville Men Face Felony Charges