PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives assigned to the Economic Crimes Unit have arrested four suspects after uncovering a large-scale fraud scheme, that included fourteen elderly victims at three different Assisted Living Facility (ALF) locations.
Detectives began an investigation on June 30, 2022, after receiving a report of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card from a victim living in an ALF.
Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives identified two suspects, 43-year-old Angella Jackson and her daughter, 28-year-old Lashantia Brown.
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Both Jackson and Brown were employed at three different ALF’s over a period of several months. Detectives learned that Jackson and Brown would take photos of the victims’ debit cards and credit cards and then share the information via text message with one another.
Detectives also discovered photos of a driver’s license belonging to two elderly victims in Brown’s cellphone. Detectives say there were multiple text message conversations between Jackson, Brown and two other suspects, later identified as 33-year-old Kanisha Altidor and 20-year-old Janorris Johnson.
All four suspects communicated via text message and benefited from the fraudulent charges.
Detectives say the suspects made various different fraudulent purchases at Adventure Island, T-Mobile, an online shoe retailer and created a Spectrum (Charter Communications) account for a residence with the information.
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According to detectives, Jackson also stole $4,000.00 in cash from an elderly victim. The total loss was approximately $14,000.00.
Brown and Jackson were employed at the following Assisted Living Facilities:
Best Care Living at St. Pete (1001 9th Street North, St. Petersburg) Magnolia Gardens (3800 62nd Avenue North, Pinellas Park) The Villas of Cases Celeste (9225 82nd Avenue, Seminole)
On February 23, 2023, all four suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The investigation continues.
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