SARASOTA, Fla. – The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested a Jacksonville man for stealing nearly $265,000 from a Carmelite Catholic Priest.
The 91-year-old priest contacted the sheriff's office to report multiple fraudulent transactions on his Raymond James and Wells Fargo financial accounts. Detectives interviewed the victim and reviewed bank statements, learning that a man named Chris Crisafulli, 56, had somehow obtained limited power of attorney to one of the victim's accounts and added himself as a joint account owner on the other.
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According to the victim, he had been a spiritual mentor to Crisafulli, a Jacksonville resident, for a number of years and Crisafulli offered him an opportunity to save money on long distance phone service. The victim signed what he thought were documents for automatic payments for monthly phone service.
The victim also explained that Crisafulli convinced him to donate $100,000 to a Catholic charity, but detectives learned the funding paid for a salaried position for Crisafulli, from which he was terminated for "unbecoming" behavior.
Over a seven-month period Crisafulli withdrew more than $264,728 from the victim's accounts.
Crisafulli is charged with one felony count of exploitation of the elderly. He admitted using the money to pay his mortgage, buy a truck and pay bills.
Crisafulli was released on $20,000 bond.