A former Miami-Dade corrections officer is under arrest, accused of exploiting a "severely mentally and physically disabled" senior who was her neighbor. 51-year-old Carmelia Regina Newbold was charged with organized fraud and elderly exploitation following an investigation by Broward County authorities, as reported by Local 10 News.
The victim, identified as Thomas Edward Chiappetta, became vulnerable following the death of his sister in 2020, who had been his sole caregiver. Newbold stepped in and is alleged to have produced a fraudulent power of attorney. This was purportedly signed by Chiappetta, granting her control over his assets and legal authority. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office and relayed by Local 10 News and CBS News Miami, Chiappetta "lacked the mental capacity to sign a POA," which was not witnessed by the notary, thus invalidating the document. Despite having been sworn to uplift justice, Newbold now stands accused of betraying the trust imbued by her badge.
Investigators discovered that Newbold fraudulently became the beneficiary of the victim's sister's life insurance policy, along with receiving Chiappetta's Social Security benefits. As reported by CBS News Miami, she also used the invalid POA to make herself the administrator of his sister's estate and listed herself as his personal representative. Money from Chiappetta's sister's life insurance was deposited into a bank account that Chiappetta and Newbold shared.
In what appears to be a final act of exploitation, the former corrections officer recorded a fraudulent quitclaim deed, transferring Chiappetta's Miramar home valuation at nearly half a million dollars to herself. Newbold subsequently moved the victim out of his home and into a long-term care facility, a place where he died, which concerns about the trust placed in notarized documents. Newbold is currently being held in Broward Main Jail, with bond set at $100,000. Jail records stipulate that she must prove that funds for bail come from a legitimate source.
