Scammer apprehended in Orlando following $800,000 scam targeting elderly man

A man in Orlando was taken into custody after a 92-year-old individual was deceived into losing more than $800,000, as reported by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

In a release, deputies said that the elderly victim from Sun City Center had been targeted in a bank and romance scam back in June 2022.

At that time, the individual moved thousands of dollars from their Fidelity account to a Wells Fargo account. Authorities mentioned that the funds were then accessed via Uphold, a cryptocurrency platform, peer-to-peer transactions, ATM withdrawals, and point-of-sale transactions, among other methods.

Nevertheless, on March 10, 2025, Otiz Swinton, aged 37, was captured on camera at a Publix located at 5265 S. John Young Pkwy., using the senior citizen’s Wells Fargo card to make a purchase, according to deputies.

In the weeks to follow, five counterfeit checks were made out to Swinton from the elderly man’s Wells Fargo account, adding up to a total of $14,300, the release states.

Furthermore, deputies said that various other charges were made using the victim’s credit card, which tallied up to over $5,000.

“Swinton Jr. had previously been in Florida State Prison for fraud,” the release reads. “Through investigative means, detectives determined Swinton Jr. had someone else withdrawing money from the victim’s Wells Fargo account while he was in prison.”

As a result, Swinton was arrested in Orlando on Wednesday.

He now faces charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, fraudulent use of personal information, and five counts of uttering a forged instrument.

“These predatory schemes rob our residents of the security and financial stability they’ve spent their lives building,” Highlands County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “Those who deliberately prey on the elderly are the worst kinds of criminals as they exploit vulnerability, trust, and often isolation for personal gain. We will continue to pursue anyone who targets our seniors with every resource at our disposal.”