Franado Ray Brown Jr. has been adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 120 months of probation, following his February conviction in a case involving financial exploitation of the elderly. He was also ordered to pay $26,412.92 in restitution.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jessica Horowitz, of the State Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
The defendant was convicted of: Grand Theft from a Person 65 Years of Age or Older, three counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Unlawful Possession of the Personal Identification Information of Another Person, two counts of Exploiting Elderly/Disabled Person, and Theft.
The victim was a 72-year-old physically disabled adult, who took in the defendant in exchange for room and board. The defendant was to be assisting the victim with his errands, medication organization, and transportation. The victim provided the defendant with access to a debit card for the victim’s necessary purchases, but the defendant, without permission, added his name to the victim’s credit card accounts, charging thousands of dollars.
In addition to charges for hotels and bars, the defendant took thousands of dollars of cash advances from the cards.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crimes. The defendant admitted to law enforcement that he used the funds to buy Fentanyl for himself and a friend.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director