A Jacksonville caregiver is accused of draining nearly $100,000 from an 87-year-old Nocatee woman who depended on her for in-home help, a case that has residents in the gated Del Webb 55-plus community on edge. Investigators say the victim trusted the caregiver not just with daily tasks, but with access to her home and financial information.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office identified the caregiver as 36-year-old Stacy Ann Gordon of Jacksonville. According to an affidavit, deputies arrested Gordon on Jan. 24 at a home inside Del Webb in Nocatee. She now faces multiple felony counts, including grand theft, scheme to defraud, criminal use of personal identification information, and exploitation of an elderly person. Authorities allege that more than $98,075 was moved from the victim’s accounts into a fraudulent account tied to Gordon, and the case is still being prosecuted in St. Johns County, as reported by St. Johns Citizen.
High Legal Stakes In Elder-Exploitation Cases
Florida law treats both exploitation of an elderly person and grand theft as serious felonies, and the penalties climb quickly as the dollar amounts go up. Under the state’s elder-exploitation statute, taking $50,000 or more from an older or vulnerable adult can be charged as a first-degree felony. Separately, grand theft of property valued between $20,000 and $100,000 is a second-degree felony that can carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
The details are spelled out in Florida Statutes and Florida Statutes, which classify the crimes and outline the potential penalties judges can impose.
How Deputies Say The Money Was Moved
According to the affidavit described by local reporting, a Capital One account was opened in the victim’s name in February 2024, and investigators say that more than $98,075 was then transferred from the elderly woman’s existing accounts into that new account. The account was allegedly linked to a business registered to Gordon.
The affidavit states that video surveillance appears to show Gordon using a bank card opened in the victim’s name. Investigators also say records obtained through subpoenas tied online activity and financial transactions to Gordon’s residence and to devices associated with her, connecting the digital trail back to the suspect, as reported by St. Johns Citizen. Gordon has been charged but not convicted, and the allegations have not yet been tested at trial.
Neighbors Rattled By A Familiar Kind Of Crime
Cases like this are not unheard of in Northeast Florida or around the country. Law-enforcement officials and consumer advocates say caregiver financial abuse often follows a familiar pattern: a trusted helper, new or joint financial accounts, and missing money that may not be discovered for months.
Previous local coverage has detailed other St. Johns County fraud investigations involving elderly victims, while federal and financial regulators warn that people who care for older adults can sometimes be in a unique position to commit or hide financial exploitation. For broader context on similar schemes and red flags, see reporting by News4Jax and consumer guidance from the FDIC.
Steps Families Can Take To Protect Older Relatives
Advocates and federal agencies say families do not have to wait for a crisis to act. They recommend regularly monitoring bank and credit card statements, setting up view-only online access or designating a trusted contact at financial institutions, and considering professional financial-monitoring services if large assets or complex accounts are involved. Just as important, they say, is keeping open and honest communication with caregivers and older relatives about money and who has access to it.
If you suspect a loved one is being exploited, officials urge you to report it quickly to local law enforcement or Adult Protective Services, and to lean on federal resources for next steps and recovery options. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s education program for older adults and the Justice Department’s elder-fraud initiative both offer practical guidance, checklists, and reporting links. Materials from the CFPB and the DOJ outline how to document suspected abuse and where to turn for help.
