Florida man allegedly steals $40,000 for dental implants so he could pull off future fraudulent transactions
A 52-year old Florida man allegedly stole the identity of an 80-year-old with dementia to pay $40,000 for dental implants and another $10,000 for a French bulldog puppy, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Timothy Powell allegedly told deputies that thieves recruited him and told him to have his teeth extracted and replaced with dental implants to look better for fraudulent transactions in the future, local Orlando, Fla., news station WFTV reports.
According to investigators, Powell purchased the 80-year-old man’s identity through the dark web. The man’s caretaker, his niece, said she learned of the fraudulent purchases when two bills from a South Florida dental clinic arrived in the victim’s mail, according to WFTV.
Jake Brenner, the victim’s brother, spoke to WFTV about the incident, saying, “I never heard about anything like that. It’s kind of different.”
The finance companies that loaned Powell the money will go after him for repayment, the outlet reports. Deputies say that the man with a new beautiful smile also made withdrawals from another victim’s account at a number of banks in the area.
Powell’s quest for pearly whites is what led deputies to him — his fingerprints were discovered on paperwork at the dentist’s office, and they were able to obtain photographs of the man.
Investigators are searching for a second suspect who may have recruited Powell, who is currently in custody at the Volusia County Jail.
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
