Pamela Lynn Vandeursen Thime, 58, of Elgin, Illinois, was found guilty of Grand Theft from a Person 65 Years or Older, more than $50,000, a First-Degree Felony. The jury returned the guilty verdict just after 8 p.m. Friday night, following a five-day trial in Collier County.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jessica Horowitz of the State Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
The defendant represented herself to be an Interior Designer from Chicago. The defendant’s in-laws live in a condominium complex on Marco Island, where the defendant met the victim. Over the course of two and a half months, beginning in January 2018, the defendant charged the victim $77,500, for the renovation of two condo bathrooms.
While Florida does not require a license to be an Interior Designer, the defendant falsely claimed to be working under a licensed contractor. No work was ever done. No materials were ordered and no permit applications were submitted for the job.
When the victim’s daughter came to Florida for a vacation, the victim told her daughter what had happened. She contacted the defendant to ask about the project and then called the Marco Island Police Department. The case was investigated by the MIPD Detective Bureau.
A sentencing date has not yet been set by the court.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office