LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two people have been charged with stealing nearly USD3 million from a wealthy ailing investor, moving into his Malibu beach house, claiming to befriend him and giving him drugs, before attempting to steal another USD20 million after his death, federal prosecutors said yesterday.
Anthony Flores, 46, was arrested last week and pleaded not guilty to felony charges, while Anna Moore, 39, was arrested on Tuesday in Houston, according to a statement from the United States (US) attorney’s office for the Central District of California. She appeared in a Texas court but didn’t enter a plea. Both will be extradited to California.
They were indicted by a grand jury on December 15.
Beginning in 2017, Flores and Moore met an ophthalmologist who was a successful investor but suffered from a mental illness that left him unable to care for himself, according to prosecutors. “Within days of meeting the victim, Flores and Moore moved into the victim’s beachfront Malibu home – rent free – and slowly took control of his life by pretending to be his new ‘best friends’ and caregivers,” the statement said.
Flores got the victim to sign over power of attorney and opened bank accounts in the victim’s name, according to prosecutors.
For months, Flores and Moore diverted the victim’s money into their own bank accounts.
Flores also allegedly changed the phone number and security settings on the physician’s USD60-million online brokerage account to access it and wired USD2 million to his own bank account. By this time, the victim evicted the pair from his home, but they installed cameras in the beach house and watched his deteriorating condition.
After the victim died in May 2018 at age 57, Flores and Moore moved back into his home and began taking out large amounts of money from his account.
Flores and Moore are each charged with felonies, including conspiracy, identity theft, mail fraud and money laundering.
They could face decades in prison if convicted on all counts.
