A Bonita Springs man was arrested and accused of going by the name of "Pastor Tim" and illegally practicing law to bilk elderly neighbors and a blind woman out of more than $100,000.
According to court documents, Timothy Lee Deaton, 73, faces multiple counts of fraud after pretending to be a pastor to scam elderly people in at least five senior living facilities.
Deaton used his years of professional training to "charm and smooth talk" his way into gaining the trust of venerable elderly people, the documents show.
The arrest report claims that Deaton lied about being a pastor and was able to convince the victims that he should be their fiduciary guardian to take over their financial responsibilities, ultimately gaining control over a $1.48 million investment account of one of the victims.
He also worked with his wife to set up a scheme that would allow the couple to benefit from the deaths of their victims, the report states.
He is accused of setting up fraudulent trusts, manipulating loan deals with inflated rates, and diverting money into his own accounts from multiple victims. He's also accused of keeping $37,059 from the sale of a mobile home that belonged to one of the victims.
Investigators say Deaton used a neighbor's WiFi to impersonate a victim in communications with financial institutions.
On March 27, the Lee County Sheriff's office arrested Deaton, who faces 11 counts of exploiting the elderly, along with counts of theft from a person 65 years of age, filing false documents, banking business by unauthorized person, unlicensed practice of law, and scheme to defraud.
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