Woman Who Defrauded Disabled Elderly Victim Arrested

TAMPA—United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of an indictment and the arrest of Rebecca Moody, 61, of West Virginia and formerly of New Port Richey. Moody was arrested yesterday in West Virginia. She is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of transportation of stolen property in connection with a mortgage, and other accounts, belonging to an elderly, disabled victim who resided in New Port Richey at the time of the charged offenses. If convicted on all counts, Moody faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud charge and up to 10 years in federal prison on the transportation of stolen property charge. The indictment also notifies Moody that the United States intends to forfeit any property traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, Rebecca Moody is alleged to have engaged in a scheme to defraud an 80-year-old disabled woman by using a fraudulently obtained power of attorney to procure a fraudulent mortgage loan from Wells Fargo Bank on the victim's unencumbered residence without the victim's knowledge. The indictment claims that Moody was also engaged in the theft of other funds from other accounts belonging to the victim in order to acquire money for Moody's personal use, and for the use of her daughter, all in contradiction of her fiduciary capacity to conduct the financial affairs in the best interest of the disabled and elderly victim.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.