Florida Man Arrested for Scamming 92-Year-Old Out of Over $800,000

A 37-year-old man from Florida, Otiz Swinton Jr., has been arrested for scamming a 92-year-old man out of more than $800,000 in a complex fraud scheme, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

Swinton Jr., a convicted felon with a history of fraud, allegedly used a combination of romance scams and bank fraud to deceive the elderly victim from Sun City Center. Deputies say the scam began in June 2022, when the victim transferred money from his Fidelity account to his Wells Fargo account. That money was later drained through multiple channels, including cryptocurrency purchases, ATM withdrawals, peer-to-peer transfers, and point-of-sale transactions.

On March 10, Swinton Jr. was captured on surveillance video using the victim’s Wells Fargo debit card at a Publix store in Orlando. Investigators also discovered fake checks totaling $14.3 million made out to Swinton Jr. from the victim’s account.

Swinton Jr. was arrested on April 30 in Orlando. He faces multiple charges including:

• Fraudulent Use of Personal Information of an Elderly Person

• Fraudulent Use of Personal Information Over $5,000 or Involving 10–19 Victims

• Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card Over $100

• Five Counts of Uttering a Forged Instrument

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister condemned the crime, stating, “These predatory schemes rob our residents of the security and financial stability they've spent their lives building. Those who deliberately prey on the elderly are the worst kinds of criminals as they exploit vulnerability, trust, and often isolation for personal gain.”

Swinton Jr. remains in custody as the investigation continues.