FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WFLA) — An 84-year-old man was shocked when police stated he went to examine his Chase checking account and found he had a stability of simply 5 cents.
It turned out one of many man’s shut mates had been stealing cash from him since September 2022, based on an arrest report obtained by NBC 6 South Florida.
Howard Jay Juntiff, 56, was booked right into a Broward County jail on Tuesday, Feb. 4 on prices of cash laundering, fraud, exploitation of aged, and felony use of private identification data, data confirmed.
Investigators stated Juntiff had been taking good care of the sufferer, who lived in Pompano Seashore and at an assisted dwelling facility in Lauderhill.
The sufferer entrusted Juntiff along with his private identification data, which Juntiff then used to steal over $593,000 from him, principally by way of on-line cash transfers and ATM withdraws, police reported.
The alleged fraud started on Sept. 21, 2022, and lasted up till Dec. 5, 2024, when police stated the 84-year-old checked his checking account and notified his household of the bizarre account stability.
The sufferer instructed investigators he had offered two properties inside the final two years, bringing in over $500,000 that ought to have nonetheless been within the account.
He initially declined to prosecute, hoping that the funds could be returned to his account, the report stated. However authorities stated the sufferer modified his thoughts when Juntiff was recognized because the suspect.
Whereas in court docket Wednesday, Juntiff was granted a $250,000 bond and ordered to steer clear of the sufferer, NBC 6 reported.
