Jamisha Shamari Sylvain, a 26-year-old from Deerfield Beach, was arrested on charges of impersonating a caregiver to defraud elderly individuals, the Broward County Sheriff's Office reported. NBC Miami states that she faces multiple charges, including fraud, exploitation of the elderly, and burglary, and a judge set her bond at $103,000 during a recent court appearance.
Investigators from the Broward County Sheriff's Office reported that in October, they were notified of an incident at the B’nai B’rith apartments in Deerfield Beach in which Sylvain allegedly posed as a caregiver to an elderly man. She reportedly gained access to his residence and withdrew $1,600 using his credit card. Authorities say she presented herself as a health insurance-assigned caregiver to enter victims’ homes and, once inside, took their debit cards and sought personal banking information.
The investigation into Sylvain’s activities uncovered additional incidents, showing a pattern of deceptive entry into victims’ homes. The Miami Herald reported that when Sylvain was arrested last Friday, she faced multiple charges, including four counts of exploitation of the elderly, three counts of grand theft against a person 65 or older, two counts of occupied burglary, and charges of criminal use of personal identification and resisting an officer without violence.
The investigation into Sylvain’s alleged scheme is ongoing, as authorities work to determine whether there are additional victims. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with relevant information to contact their non-emergency line. According to the Miami Herald, the BSO stated that in some cases, Sylvain posed as a new caregiver assigned by the victim’s health insurance company while authorities continue to piece together the details of the alleged exploitation.
