On the quiet suburban streets of Petaluma, an unsettling crime of financial elder abuse has recently come to light, involving an 85-year-old man swindled out of thousands of dollars. According to the Petaluma Police Department, the incident occurred on May 16, when the elderly victim was lured into a scam under the guise of purchasing gold jewelry. The report states that in mere hours, the victim was driven to various banks and a casino and coerced into withdrawing more than $4,000 before being abandoned in a Trader Joe's parking lot.
In their investigation, the police leveraged video surveillance from a local casino and were able to track down the suspect's vehicle. The identified suspect, 25-year-old Florian Matei of Sacramento, was previously contacted by the Daly City Police Department in December 2023 for similar suspicious activity. On June 7, following the authorization of an arrest warrant, Matei was apprehended at the Plaza shopping center, "without incident," as reported by Sgt. Ryan McGreevy of the Petaluma Police Department.
After Matei's arrest, a fingerprint check revealed his use of an alias and status as a fugitive from Fairfax County, Virginia, with an outstanding warrant for abduction by force and four outstanding warrants for robbery by force. Following these discoveries, Matei was booked into Sonoma County Jail facing charges of felony financial elder abuse, marking a concerning repetition of exploitation targeting the most vulnerable members of our community.
The Petaluma Police Department has not only shed light on this individual incident of financial exploitation but has also reminded us how essential it is for communities to remain vigilant against such forms of deception, especially those targeting seniors. For further details on the case or inquiries, Sgt. Ryan McGreevy remains a point of contact and can be reached at (707) 778-4415 or via email at [email protected].
