A Florida real estate agent has been arrested for charges related to a scam in which an elderly couple lost their properties and savings.
45-year-old Jason Valiant allegedly named himself the healthcare surrogate of an elderly couple from Ormond Beach. He also gave himself power of attorney using forged documents he created while the couple was sick and in hospital.
According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) was signed for one of the victims and they were later removed from life support.
"This is pure, pure evil," Chitwood said in a story broadcast by Fox 35.
The couple initially hired Valiant to sell their property, after which he presented them with various false offers, including one low offer from his own company.
After the couple was hospitalized due to illness, Valiant allegedly created fake documents to grant himself power of attorney over the couple. He then willed the couple's home as well as two of their other properties, worth a total of $1.6 million. He also drained their bank accounts and stole their car. Valiant then paid for attorney fees, teeth whitening, car detailing, food and gas using the couple's credit cards.
"I've never seen anything like it," Chitwood said.
Valiant has been charged with creating an organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, criminal use of personal ID information, the illegal use of credit cards and other related charges.
Originally published by Latin Times
