ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A Florida realtor is facing charges for orchestrating a scheme to defraud and exploit a hospitalized Ormond Beach couple after he was hired to sell their property.
Jason Valiant is accused of taking control of the couple's assets after he signed a do-not-resuscitate order for one of the victims, who was subsequently taken off life support, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
"Unfortunately, they chose a wolf in sheep’s clothing who saw an opportunity to make himself rich," Chitwood wrote in a Facebook post announcing the arrest on Friday. "We have a new Scumbag of the holiday season!"
According to Chitwood, Valiant was hired to sell the couple's property and when they were both hospitalized with "deteriorating health," he produced fraudulent documents to make himself their health care surrogate and power of attorney.
Valiant then drained funds from the victims' bank accounts, changed the victim's will to leave their home and two other properties to himself and stole their Dodge Ram truck for his own use, Chitwood said. All three of the victims' properties were valued at a total of $1.6 million, according to a property appraiser.
The two properties Valiant illegally acquired were oceanfront parcels in Flagler Beach that he and another realtor, Constance Kellner, discussed developing into a large condo complex or hotel.
"Instead of working to sell the properties, it appears Valiant provided his victims fake lowball offers – including one from his own company," Chitwood said.
Kellner was charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact, as investigators found she had "full knowledge of Valiant's scheme" and helped him with the fraudulent power of attorney and deed documents.
"In addition to the thousands he stole via checks, Valiant used his victim’s credit card for things like attorney’s fees, a teeth whitening procedure, auto detailing, dinner and drinks, and gas," Chitwood added.
Valiant was arrested by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Thursday night on charges of organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, grand theft over $100,000, grand theft of a vehicle, criminal use of personal ID information and illegal use of credit cards. His bond was set at $375,000.
