Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of an Escambia County man who has been charged with exploitation of an elderly person after they allegedly took over $17,000 for personal use. Below is an official statement from Attorney General Moody’s office.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit today announced the arrest of Ira Roberts for financially exploiting an elderly Escambia resident. According to the MFCU investigation, Roberts systematically took more than $17,000 from the senior’s bank account over an 18-month period, spending the funds on personal bills and purchases from DoorDash, Netflix, Amazon among other stores.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This man, while serving in a position of trust as a power of attorney, stole more than $17,000 from a senior victim’s bank account to use on himself. It is shameful that instead of faithfully fulfilling the role of power of attorney, he stole thousands of dollars to pay his own utilities and bills from DoorDash, Netflix, Amazon and other stores. I am thankful for our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for stopping this exploitation.”
According to the investigation, Roberts, while in a position of trust with the 82-year-old victim, transferred more than $44,000 from the victim’s account into his own account between June 2021 and December 2022. Based on witness accounts, facility records and bank records, Roberts spent more than $17,000 of those transferred funds on personal expenses—not for the use or benefit of the victim.
Roberts faces one count of exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult, less than $50,000—a second-degree felony.
Attorney General Moody’s MFCU will prosecute the case through an agreement with the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit.
