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ST. PETERSBURG — A Largo man is accused of taking more than $20,000 from his 90-year-old mother's bank accounts and credit cards without her knowledge, then using the money on plastic surgery, tanning salons and expensive gifts for others.
Roland Lawrence Jacobs, 56, of 10004 86th Way N, Largo, was arrested by St. Petersburg police Monday on a charge of scheme to defraud. He was released on a $20,000 bond a few hours after his arrest.
According to police, Jacobs' sister noticed something wrong with their mother's banking accounts and notified police. The mother, who was not identified in police reports, lives in St. Petersburg.
The sister has had power of attorney over her mother's affairs since August 2001, said police spokesman Mike Puetz.
There are at least two credit cards that Jacobs is suspected of using, resulting in nearly $15,000 in questionable charges, Puetz said. Some of those charges were made at the Palm Harbor Plastic Surgery Center and at unnamed tanning salons.
Police did not say whether Jacobs used those services himself or purchased them for someone else. But, according to the arrest affidavit, Jacobs also purchased expensive gifts for others.
Police are still reviewing all the credit card charges, Puetz said.
According to Puetz, Jacobs is said to have set up an automatic draft from his mother's Bank of America account and from July 6 to Nov. 26 received eight debits for $2,013. He stole a check from his mother and tried to cash it on Oct. 20 for $3,750 but that account was already closed, Puetz said. On Nov. 9, he received $2,500 from an account, Puetz said.
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