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Florida Man Accused Of Stealing Ailing Man's Identity, Spending $40,000 On Dental Work
"I never heard anything like that," the victim's brother said of Timothy Powell's alleged scheme.
After allegedly being persuaded to fix his teeth in order to improve his appearance for future capers, a Florida man has been accused of stealing a debilitated man’s identity and using the victim’s funds to purchase some pearly whites as well as an expensive purebred puppy.
Timothy Powell, 52, used the ill-gotten information to pay for $40,000 worth of dental work after deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said he told them he had been recruited by other thieves who told him to get his teeth extracted and replaced with dental implants so that he look better for future schemes, according to WFTV.
Officers said he also used the identity of an 80-year-old DeBary man who suffers from either dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, which he allegedly purchased off the darknet, to buy a French bulldog puppy that cost almost $10,000.
Powell allegedly used the victim’s personal info to get a fake Connecticut driver's license. He then used that combined with other information he was able to learn about the man, including his social security number, to apply for credit at Friedman Dental Group to fix his "extremely rotten teeth," the sheriff's office said, according to WTSP.
The alleged scam was discovered by the victim's caretaker, who received two large bills from the clinic in the mail and then contacted authorities, who began to investigate the alleged dental deception.
Law enforcement officers were able to link Powell to the suspected crime by using his past mug shots and the fingerprints found on the loan documents to identify him as the alleged perpetrator.
Powell allegedly told investigators that not all of the 110 implants had been completed and some of the teeth in his mouth were only temporary.
Jake Brenner, the victim's brother, told WFTV he had learned of the theft about a week ago.
"I never heard anything like that," he said. "It's kind of different."
Powell is facing identity theft charges in the incident, but deputies said they are investigating a possible second suspect in the alleged crime as well.
[Photo Credit: Volusia County Sheriff's Office]
