Man accused of real estate fraud against elderly, bedridden woman
MIAMI - A man is facing charges after police say he committed real estate fraud against an elderly, bedridden woman.
Investigators said Tom Jenkins III, 43, engaged in an organized scheme to defraud by creating a "systematic, ongoing course of conduct with the intent to defraud the victim and the title company to obtain seller proceeds of the property by fraudulent pretenses and representations."
Investigators said Jenkins posed as Richard Whyte, with a fake driver's license, and made the title company believe that he was the son of the
victim.
Police said the owner of the Miami property is an 86-year-old bedridden woman who resides in a nursing home.
Investigators said he prepared a $500,000 standard purchase sale agreement which he said had been signed by the victim.
On Monday, the Miami-Dade Police Department's Real Estate Fraud Squad conducted an undercover operation with two police detectives.
Jenkins was detained when he went to pick up the check at the title company.
He was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Investigators believe that there may be additional victims, and urge anyone that was victimized to contact the Organized Crime Bureau, Economic Crimes Section at (305) 994-1000.