ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives arrested a woman accused of taking advantage of a disabled man by gaining access to his deceased mother's estate, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
Lisa Jayne Hook, 49, is charged with scheming to defraud more than $20,000 and grand theft more than $20,000.
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The Sheriff's Office said the investigation began in October.
Financial crimes detectives said they discovered that the suspect, who they later identified as Hook, used a 60-year-old disabled man's identity to open an online bank account in November 2016. Investigators said it was part of a scheme to sell the man's land in another state without him knowing.
Then, detectives said, Hook fraudulently obtained power of attorney with help from a friend who notarized the documents.
A year ago, investigators said, Hook used the fake power of attorney to get control of the disabled man's dead mother's estate. According to the Sheriff's Office, Hook attended a real estate closing and got a $28,000 check that was then deposited into the fake bank account she had created under the man's name, which detectives said gave her full access to the money.
According to the arrest affidavit, Hook gained money from the sale of the disabled man's land and his inheritance, knowing he was vulnerable and could easily be taken advantage of because of his medical conditions.
Hook was arrested last week and booked into the St. Johns County Jail, where she's being held on $50,500 bond.
The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate.