Ah, Florida. The land of sunshine, palm trees, and alleged caretakers who see their elderly clients as ATMs. Meet Nerlande Charles, a Lake Worth woman who apparently thought “caretaking” meant “taking care of herself” with someone else’s life savings.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Charles was supposed to be helping an elderly woman recover after a fall. Instead, she allegedly decided to help herself—to the tune of $318,000 in unauthorized transactions. Because nothing says “compassionate caretaker” like maxing out a dead woman’s credit card at Gucci and Cartier.
Here’s how the scam unfolded (because let’s be honest, this was a whole operation):
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The Classic “Oops, I Forged Your Signature” Move
Charles allegedly convinced the elderly victim to sign checks—checks that conveniently went straight into Charles’s own interests. Then, after the woman passed away, Charles reportedly forged her signature again to transfer the victim’s Lexus into her name. Because why grieve when you can grift? -
The “Sell It All” Strategy
Not content with just swiping the car, Charles allegedly sold the Lexus to CarMax for $35,000, bought herself a Nissan Maxima, and pocketed the remaining $13,488.65. Because nothing says “financial responsibility” like flipping luxury cars like a shady used-car saleswoman. -
The “Credit Card Roulette” Gambit
When the victim’s niece started asking questions, Charles reportedly denied everything, despite the paper trail leading straight to her. Charges at Rooms-to-Go, Best Buy, and high-end boutiques? Must’ve been a ghost. A really stylish ghost.
Now, Charles is on house arrest with an $850,000 bond and strict orders to not contact the victim’s family. Which, honestly, is probably for the best—because if she did reach out, she’d probably try to sell them a timeshare.
Moral of the story? If your Florida caretaker suddenly starts dressing like a Kardashian, maybe check your bank statements.
(Disclaimer: No actual caretakers were harmed in the making of this crime spree. Just common sense and several laws.)