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Clearwater man accused of scam targeting elderly victims

 
Justin Crist, 28, ripped off at least three people, say detectives.
Justin Crist, 28, ripped off at least three people, say detectives.
Published May 2, 2017

A 28-year-old handyman is accused of taking money from three elderly people for work he never completed, and Pinellas County sheriff's detectives think there may be more victims.

Justin Kyle Crist of Clearwater faces charges of felony petty theft and grand theft from a person 65 years or older, as well as an unrelated driving without a valid license charge, the Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Detectives were tipped off to the scam April 6 when Joseph Kreplick, 91, reported that a man later identified as Crist offered to do landscaping work at Kreplick's Dunedin home. Crist persuaded Kreplick to pay him $700 in advance for the work. The two signed a agreement, then Crist drove Kreplick to the bank so he could withdraw cash, the Sheriff's Office said.

Upon returning to Kreplick's home, Kreplick went inside to review the agreement, according to an arrest report. He couldn't find it, so he went outside to talk to Crist, but Crist was already gone. He left his state ID on Kreplick's table.

That led detectives to two prior incidents they said involved Crist. On Feb. 26, Crist went to the home of 69-year-old Stephanie Shutter after she responded to a Facebook ad for a handyman. Crist asked her for $400 to buy materials to install an attic fan at her Pinellas Park home, according to an arrest report.

Shutter, uncomfortable with giving him the full amount, gave him $200 instead, then photocopied his state ID and wrote down his phone number and license plate number. He never returned.

On March 27, he pulled a similar disappearing act on 70-year-old Diana Cedolia, detectives said. She gave him $80 to rent a pressure washer to clean the outside of her Dunedin home. Cedolia wrote down his phone number, and Crist went on his way.

About an hour later, she called Crist, who said he was in St. Petersburg but would bring the pressure washer over that evening and return the next day to do the work, according to an arrest report. He never came back.

Deputies found and arrested Crist on April 27 during a traffic stop at 49th Street N and Park Boulevard. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, where he remained Monday morning in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Detectives believe there may be more victims of Crist's scam. They ask that anyone with information to call Detective Quentin Collamore at (727) 582-6200.