defraud

Published on: January 21, 2025

Squatters Ran Ad to Try to Rent Out Home

Two individuals were arrested when a neighbor informed the authorities that the couple moved into a home on the Gulf Coast without permission and allegedly ran an ad to rent out the dwelling.

According to reports, homes in the unincorporated Sarasota County town of Nokomis were damaged during recent hurricanes. Several owners and residents have been working on repairs, so when a couple began staying in an unoccupied local home and started cleaning it up, it did not initially seem out of the ordinary. After the man pressure-washed the outside of the house, he asked the neighbor across the street to pay him for the job. Requesting money from the individual raised red flags, and the neighbor decided to notify the authorities so the police could determine if everything going on was above board. The neighbor also reported seeing a “for rent” listing for the house when they were on Facebook.

The homeowner, who was in Jacksonville, learned about the situation when they talked to deputies with the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office. They said they did not permit anyone to be in the house and wanted to press charges against the alleged squatters. When deputies went to the residence, they reported that there was fresh food in the fridge, in addition to other indications that the couple had been living there. When they spoke to the authorities, they said they were there because they were hired to take care of the mess.

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Published on: December 17, 2022

Journalist Kidnapped and Stole $200K from Elderly Mother

by Staycie R. Sena

A former Florida news columnist and regular guest of Tucker Carlson was arrested for allegedly bilking her mother out of more than $200,000 after forcing her into an assisted living facility.

51-year-old Catherine Areu Jones works under the name of Cathy Areu, and she used to be a columnist for the Washington Post. She hosted a podcast called Liberal Sherpa, and she used the name “Liberal Sherpa” on the occasions that she was a guest on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox.

Jones has an 88-year-old mother, and she used to have power of attorney, but it was reportedly revoked.

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Published on: November 6, 2018

Fraud Suspects Used Child’s Cancer Campaign for Fundraising

by Staycie R. Sena

Three people have been accused of allegedly accepting money from donors after claiming they were family members of a little girl with cancer, and it was discovered that they allegedly have no relation to the child or the fundraising efforts for her recovery.

The family of a 6-year-old girl named Kaylee who was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Wilms’ tumor, which mostly affects youngsters and is found in the kidneys, started a fundraiser in hopes of gaining financial support for their daughter’s medical needs. A campaign that they dubbed “Kicking it with Kaylee” was created by the child’s relatives to raise awareness of their cause.

People in Syracuse, New York, and some surrounding neighborhoods reported that they were visited at their homes by three people who said they were Kaylee’s family members that presented a picture of the child when asking for donations. It is believed that the photo was taken from an online news site and being used to help convince people that they were legitimate proponents for the cause, and donators allegedly gave hundreds of dollars in support.

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