Woman accused of stealing more than $200K from disabled elderly woman: SPPD

A woman faces felony charges after St. Petersburg police say she stole more than $200,000 from a disabled elderly woman over a four-year period.

Detectives arrested Delorse Boyd, 65, after an investigation dating back years.

Mugshot of Delorse Boyd. Courtesy: St. Petersburg Police Dept.

Mugshot of Delorse Boyd. Courtesy: St. Petersburg Police Dept.

Exploitation investigation

The backstory:

According to SPPD, Boyd stole a total of $205,762.60 from the victim between July 7, 2017, and Sept. 1, 2021.

The wheelchair-bound victim initially hired Boyd to clean her home. She gained the victim's trust and later took on more responsibilities, police say, ranging from grocery shopping to paying bills and picking up medications.

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The investigation uncovered 176 checks allegedly written by Boyd to get access to cash, deposit money into her personal bank account, and pay her own bills. One of those checks was written to the Pinellas County Clerk of Court for more than $3,500 to cover Boyd's criminal and traffic fines.

Police say Boyd also used the victim's credit card to spend more than $20,000 on appliances, ride-share, monthly bills, online purchases and travel expenses.

The victim was 79-years-old when the theft began and 83 by the time her bank reported suspicious activity to law enforcement, according to investigators.

Arrest of Delorse Boyd

Timeline:

A judge issued a warrant for Boyd's arrest on Friday, Jan. 10, Pinellas County court records show.

St. Pete police then arrested Boyd on Monday, Jan. 13. She faces a charge of first-degree elderly exploitation, which is a felony.

Jail records show Boyd is being held on $150,000 bond, as of Friday.

The Source: This story was written using information from the St. Petersburg Police Department, Pinellas County Jail and Pinellas County Clerk of Court.

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