A Florida man will spend more than 21 years in state prison after orchestrating a series of sophisticated cyber fraud schemes that targeted some of the state’s oldest residents. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the sentencing of Otiz Swinton Jr., noting that the 21.6-year term is the longest handed down by the Office of Statewide Prosecution’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit (CFEU) since its inception in 2023.
The investigation, a joint effort between the CFEU and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, revealed a pattern of exploitation that began while Swinton was already incarcerated for a different crime.
According to court records, Swinton spent nearly three years, from June 2022 to April 2025, manipulating a 95-year-old man. Swinton posed as a representative from Fidelity, convincing the victim that his financial accounts were at risk. To gain full control, Swinton mailed the victim a cell phone and a flash drive, which allowed for remote access to the man’s computer.
Under the guise of “securing” the funds, Swinton walked the victim through the process of setting up a cryptocurrency wallet. Instead of protecting the money, Swinton transferred the assets into his own accounts and forged checks to himself.
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Upon his release from prison in March 2025, Swinton did not wait long to find a new target. Investigators say he immediately contacted a 97-year-old woman while impersonating a Spectrum employee. Using the same tactic of claiming her accounts were compromised, he obtained her personal banking details to make unauthorized purchases and wire transfers.
“Florida will not tolerate criminals who exploit our seniors,” Attorney General Uthmeier stated, praising the work of Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Sarah Keith and Patrick Gilday. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister echoed those sentiments, calling the targeting of elderly victims a “calculated and cruel crime.”
Swinton’s conviction covers a wide range of charges, including the criminal use of personal identification of a person over 60, exploitation of the elderly, organized fraud, and multiple counts of uttering a forged instrument. With the sentence finalized, Swinton has been transferred to the Florida Department of Corrections to begin his two-decade term.
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