Latest news with #grandtheft
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
'Cold-blooded killer'; grand jury indicts man in slaying of woman in St. Lucie County
ST. LUCIE COUNTY − A grand jury July 9 indicted a man on first-degree murder and other charges following the death in March of Toni Lynn Marie Trabb, 58, of Port St. Lucie, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. Along with the murder charge, Carlos Tito Caban, 52, faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of a credit card, and criminal use of personal identification following the slaying. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty in the case, according to the Sheriff's Office. 'This guy's a cold-blooded killer as far as I'm concerned, and he is exactly where he needs to be right now,' Sheriff Richard Del Toro said at a July 10 media briefing. Trabb was found March 24 by cleaning staff at the Best Western hotel, in the 7900 block of South U.S. 1, in a second-floor room. Rescue and sheriff's officials arrived at the scene before Trabb was pronounced dead. Del Toro said Trabb was found with "severe blunt trauma and ultimately strangled to death." He said Caban checked into the hotel under his name, but used her credit card. Sheriff's officials on March 25 identified Caban, a sex offender, as 'officially our suspect' following the homicide. Investigators March 25 were notified by authorities in Tifton, Georgia, that Caban was stopped in Trabb's Toyota Corolla there. Tifton is about 370 miles from Port St. Lucie. A bulletin was put out for the vehicle, Del Toro said, and police officers coming out of a gym spotted it based on the bulletin and took Caban into custody. Caban was with another woman. 'Details were later learned from Georgia authorities that the woman that was with Mr. Caban met him in the Orlando, Florida area," Del Toro said. "And he told her at that time he was traveling to New York and she just decided to go along for the ride because she had nothing pretty much better going on.' Lt. Andrew Bolonka, sheriff's spokesperson, said at the time that Caban faced charges out of Florida related to the conditions of his sex offender status. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Caban in January 2021 was convicted in Indian River County of sexual battery by an adult on an adult with aggravating circumstances. He was released from prison in 2023, according to the state Department of Corrections. Sheriff's officials said a variety of items reportedly were dumped in a field in Georgia, and a person there looked through it and found Trabb's name on some paperwork. That person notified law enforcement officials there. Trabb's father, Anthony Borello, in an interview at his Port St. Lucie home, said shortly after the slaying that his daughter was a smart, special woman who enjoyed cooking and was 'pretty fluent' in Spanish. Borello said Trabb was born in New York. She was twice married, and has a daughter, who teaches school, and a son in college, both in the New Jersey area. She has a sister and a half-sister. Borello said his daughter struggled with alcohol, and that "every now and then she'd fall off.' Borello said Trabb 'was seeing a lot of' Caban over the past two months before her death. 'First time I met him, I didn't like him,' Borello said. 'Second time I met him, I didn't like him even more.' Borello said he last saw Trabb March 21, before she left early the next morning as he slept. He assumed it was to meet with Caban, and she texted him over the weekend. 'She said, 'Oh, we're out having a good time, and the beach was nice, and we're gonna get a bite,'' Borello said. 'So, I'm assuming it was this guy.' Del Toro said his understanding is that Caban and Trabb met on a dating website about a month and a half before the incident occurred. 'He started, according to a friend of Ms. Trabb that had spoken with her before her death, exhibiting some signs of violent behavior towards her,' Del Toro said. Alleged improper med spa: 'Facial paralysis' and 'illegal backyard shed med spa' found in Port St. Lucie, police say Update in deadly encounter: Arrest made in slaying of 19-year-old woman from Fort Pierce Del Toro said investigators spoke to Caban, and he was able to see the death penalty was being pursued. Caban 'basically says you guys pretty much know what happened, and I want an attorney," Del Toro said. To determine whether capital punishment is warranted, the state is required to identify the aggravating circumstances, or reasons why a sentence of death is legal and appropriate. Prosecutors cited six statutory aggravators related to Trabb's murder including: The killing was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel The capital felony was committed by a person previously convicted of a felony and under sentence of imprisonment or placed on community control or on felony probation. The defendant was previously convicted of another capital felony or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person. The capital felony was committed for pecuniary gain. The felony was a homicide and was committed in a cold calculated and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification. The capital felony was committed by a person designated as a sexual predator pursuant to (Florida statute) 775.21 or a person previously designated as a sexual Predator who had the sexual predator designation removed. Prosecutors weigh such aggravators against any potential mitigating evidence, such as substance abuse, neurological troubles or diminished mental health. (This story has been updated with more information and video) Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Sex offender charged with murder in death of 58-year-old woman
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
72-year-old woman imprisoned for embezzling $700,000 from Holy Cross Church in Vero Beach
VERO BEACH – A 72-year-old woman guilty of embezzling around $700,000 from Holy Cross Catholic Church on July 18 was ordered to prison for a decade followed by 20 years of probation. Deborah Lynn True, a resident of Frederick, Colorado and a former parish administrator at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach, was also ordered to pay the church $697,138.98 in restitution after being released from prison, Circuit Judge Robert Meadows ruled during her sentencing hearing in the Indian River County Courthouse. Standing before Meadows wearing a bright-colored print blouse and slacks, True remained silent as he imposed a sentence negotiated with state prosecutors during a May 1 hearing in which she pleaded no contest to first-degree grand theft. She was accused of misusing church donations over several years to pay off personal debts, records show. The church is at 500 Iris Lane on Orchid Island. The plea deal requires True to pay the restitution in equal monthly installments for the duration of her probation or face being returned to prison, court records show. In sentencing True, Meadows said when she's released from prison, she may not seek to terminate her probation term early and must make monthly restitution payments or face returning to prison. "You will not return to the Holy Cross Catholic Church and you are subject to warrantless searches and seizures of yourself and your property," Meadows told True. "Good luck to you ma'am." After court, Long said the only just sentence for True was a prison term. 'Stealing over $600,000 is bad enough, but taking it from a church and your fellow parishioners is especially egregious,' Long said. 'I thank the (Vero Beach Police Department) for bringing us such a strong case, and I believe the thoroughness of their investigation is why this matter resolved without a trial.' Bank account hidden from Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach True was arrested in September 2022 following a Vero Beach police investigation that began in December 2021 after the chief financial officer of the Diocese of Palm Beach reported True and the late Rev. Richard Murphy were suspected "of embezzling over $1 million in funds,' according to court filings. Murphy was pastor at Holy Cross until he died at age 80 in March 2020. True retired in July 2020 and moved to Jacksonville, then Colorado. An additional church bank account was discovered after a new pastor and bookkeeper were hired, an arrest affidavit stated. According to police investigators, in 2012 True and Murphy opened a bank account hidden from the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach, and that nearly $1.5 million of parishioners' donations were fraudulently deposited into the account since 2015. Nearly $550,000 was used to pay True's personal lines of credit, and about $147,000 was deposited into True's personal checking accounts, records show. When police spoke with True via phone, she told investigators she transferred to the church in 1997 with Murphy. They had worked at a Catholic church in Stuart from the mid-1980s until 1997. She said her title at Holy Cross was 'parish administrator' and her job 'included tasks such as scheduling events, human resources, bookkeeping and payroll.' 'She was the only person who would deposit checks received by Holy Cross,' detectives noted. She eventually told investigators she used funds to pay off her personal debt, saying Murphy gave her permission. Police reported Murphy also appeared to benefit from the money, but because of his death a criminal investigation wasn't conducted to identify an amount. In court, after Meadows imposed True's punishment, she was fingerprinted, handcuffed and escorted to a holding cell to be transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections. Her Vero Beach attorney Andy Metcalf later noted True was "left standing alone to be charged in this case when Father Murphy died and she remains alone now in taking responsibility. " "These cases can result in very favorable outcomes if there is an ability to pay restitution. Ms. True was unable to do so," he said. "I have received letters of anger and disgust and I have received letters of support for her. One of the letters of support even questioning their fellow parishioners' lack of compassion and forgiveness, wondering if Father Murphy was alive, would others in the church have been so harsh in their judgment." (This story was updated with more information and photos.) Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ex-employee of Holy Cross Church heads to prison for embezzling $700K Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
3 Orange County women arrested after police find over $12,000 worth of stolen merchandise
Three women were arrested after police found over $12,000 worth of stolen merchandise in Orange County. The suspects were identified as: Sara Alexandru, 18, of Garden Grove Simara Ghiocel, 19, of Westminster Sara Mihalaiche, 19, of Garden Grove On June 30, license plate readers alerted Irvine police to a van that was used to carry out a retail theft from an Ulta Beauty store in Los Angeles. Officers located the van exiting the Alton Square shopping center and began following it. The suspects eventually pulled over in a neighborhood, exited the van and fled on foot. Body cam footage that was blurred by police showed officers tracking down the women as they hid in different spots throughout the neighborhood. They were taken into custody. Inside the van, police found over $12,500 worth of stolen merchandise from several retail stores in Irvine, Santa Ana and Costa Mesa. The women were booked at the Orange County Jail on multiple charges including organized retail theft, grand theft and burglary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major update in $2.5m scam of ex-Dolphins star Reshad Jones after he was conned by woman 'he never met'
Two arrests have been made in connection to the alleged $2.58million robbery of former Miami Dolphins star Reshad Jones, according to reports. Last week Florida police arrested a 49-year-old woman and were looking for a financial advisor after the pair were both accused of scamming Jones, 37, out of the huge seven-figure sum. Octavia Monique Graham, who is said to have never met the ex-Dolphins safety, turned herself into authorities last Monday on first-degree grand theft and money laundering charges, according to Broward County court records obtained by Daily Mail. And now is reporting that former financial advisor Isaiah T. Williams was also arrested in Florida five days earlier than Graham, 52, for his alleged role in the scheme. Williams, who served as Jones' financial advisor from January 2022 to March 2024, is accused of stealing $1.58m from his client's bank account without his knowledge or permission via a total of 133 wire transfers in order to pay off balances on two American express credit cards. He allegedly racked up those bills by splashing out on luxury expenditures, such as first-class airline tickets, designer clothes, jewelry, nightclub and strip club outings and to host women at hotels, as well as legal fees and child support. Ex-financial advisor Isaiah T. Williams (left) was arrested on June 25 in Florida for his alleged role in the scheme, five days before Octavia Monique Graham handed herself in to police Williams is also accused of conspiring with Graham to defraud Jones out of another $1.03m after 16 checks totaling $435,000 each were deposited to his Chase account from October 2019 to September 2021. He also allegedly received 88 Zelle transfers worth $184,000 from Graham's Bank of America account. According to his profile, Williams worked at a Merill Lynch branch in Boca Raton until resigning in December. The former vice president, senior financial advisor and senior portfolio advisor was hit by allegations of 'conduct involving misappropriation, unsuitable asset allocation, misrepresentations and an improper outside business activity', the website claims. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority have reportedly barred him from 'acting as a broker or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm' after not cooperating with its investigation while not admitting or denying the results. Williams is said to have been released by Florida police on July 2 with a $1m bond. Graham was held on a $75,000 bond and pleaded not guilty on Monday. Jones' attorneys claim to be suing over the alleged theft, which they described in a statement as 'another troubling example of a professional athlete being exploited by a wealth management firm he trusted.' 'In this case, the wrongdoer was a Vice President at one of the world's largest financial institutions – Bank of America's investment management division, Merrill Lynch,' Chase Carlson and Jeff Sonn said in a statement. 'We have filed a lawsuit to hold Merrill Lynch accountable and are working to recover all damages our client has suffered.' It was not immediately clear Friday where that lawsuit was filed. Daily Mail reached out to Sonn for more information last week but did not receive a response. Bank of America issued a statement to Daily Mail in response to the claims of Jones' attorneys. 'Whenever we learn of potential wrongdoing, we promptly investigate, fully cooperate with regulators and law enforcement, and work with the client to compensate them for any harm caused by an employee,' read the statement. 'Putting clients first and protecting client assets have been guiding principles of Merrill since our founding more than 100 years ago.' Jones was a two-time Pro Bowler who played 10 years in South Florida while earning $58.1 million along the way.
The Sun
06-07-2025
- The Sun
Worker accidentally overpaid $400,000 she ‘thought was a bonus' on her $60k salary & blew it on luxury shopping
A HORSE clinic receptionist is accused of grand theft after being accidentally overpaid $400,000 in veterinarian checks. Yessica Arrua, 29, from Wellington, Florida, was arrested after allegedly keeping the cash and spending more than half on shopping and transfers to her family. 3 3 3 Yessica, whose annual salary was $60,000, was overpaid from February 2022 to January 2023, according to a Palm Beach Sheriff's Office report obtained by the Daily Mail. While she allegedly admitted she knew she was being overpaid, she said she thought the extra cash was a "bonus" for her work as a receptionist, according to the police report. She said she "heard rumours before that the previous receptionist had received one for saving the practice money on supplies". The Palm Beach Equine Clinic's (PBEC) spotted the mistake in early 2023 and alerted the company's payroll provider, Harbor America. Yessica was arrested on June 27. She allegedly did not report the overpayment to the clinic, instead spending the money at stores like Coach, Michael Kors, furniture shops and restaurants, according to the report. It added that thousands of dollars were sent through Zelle to a person nicknamed "Mama Dukes", while $80,000 was used to buy a food truck for a friend of her mother's. Yessica said that she also sent money to people in Argentina - where she is originally from - to build a house. The 29-year-old had been working at PBEC for nine years. She is said to have known the company president - who reported her to the police - since the age of nine. Baltimore Orioles Prospect Luis Guevara Dies at 19 in Jet Ski Accident The veterinarian on the annual salary of $450,000 "did not monitor her checking account and deposits for the past year", according to the police report. She only realised that she had not been paid when her credit cards declined, it added. When the veterinarian confronted her, Yessica "broke down crying and admitted the criminal action", according to the police report. She then issued a cashier's check for $200,000 of the estimated $414,000 she pocketed. But she claimed she could not return the rest of the money because her mother had already sent $100,000 of it to family in Argentina, who thought it was a "gift from God", according to the police report. Yessica has been charged with grand theft and money laundering, each involving sums of $100,000 or more. She is currently in custody at Palm Beach's Main Detention Center. The PBEC, a full-service 24-hour equine medical facility operating since 1981, is ran by President Dr Scott Swerdlin. The police report stated that President Swerdlin wanted Harbor America and Yessica Arrua to be held accountable. Police were reportedly told by representatives from Harbor America that the individuals who knew about the error were no longer employed by the firm. It comes as a Brit was scammed out of £200 after being sweet-talked by a fake Jennifer Aniston begging for cash for 'Apple subscriptions'. Paul Davis, 43, from Southampton, handed over the money after believing he was talking to the Friends star on Facebook. Paul, who battles depression, revealed how he was bombarded with dozens of eerily convincing videos from fake celebrity accounts.
