HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 37-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a 92-year-old Sun City Center resident out of more than $800,000 in an elaborate romance and financial scam.
Otiz Swinton Jr., a convicted felon with a history of fraud offenses, was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) on April 30 in Orlando. Investigators say Swinton Jr. used romantic manipulation and bank fraud to siphon money from the victim’s accounts.
According to officials, the scheme began in June 2022, when the elderly victim transferred funds from his Fidelity account to his Wells Fargo account. Those funds were quickly depleted through cryptocurrency purchases, ATM withdrawals, peer-to-peer transfers, and other means.
Swinton Jr. was also caught on surveillance footage on March 10, using the victim’s Wells Fargo debit card at a Publix store in Orlando. Authorities uncovered counterfeit checks from the victim’s account, totaling an attempted $14.3 million, made payable to Swinton Jr.
He now faces multiple charges, including:
Fraudulent Use of Personal Information of an Elderly Person
Fraudulent Use of Personal Information Over $5,000 or with 10–19 victims
Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card over $100
Five counts of Uttering a Forged Instrument
“This kind of predatory crime strips away the financial security our seniors worked their whole lives to build,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “We will aggressively pursue those who exploit trust and isolation to target our elderly community.”
The investigation remains active, and authorities encourage vigilance and awareness to prevent similar scams.
