WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - After a year-long investigation, a Wakulla County mobile home salesman has been arrested, accused of scamming an elderly, blind man out of $20,000.
The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office says that they received a complaint about James Bennett, the owner and operator of Bennett Better Built Homes, back in March 2017.
The complaint alleged that on March 10, a 68-year-old man who is legally blind and needs assistance with daily activities, applied for financing to purchase a $59,000 manufactured home from Bennett.
The man made a $20,000 down payment to Bennett and intended to finance the rest.
According to the complaint, Bennett led the man to believe that he would receive documents detailing the transaction the next day, and that they would be explained to him since he was legally blind.
However, the man never got the documents he signed and nothing was explained to him.
On March 13, the 68-year-old finally got documents detailing the purchase price of the home, which included $11,221 in closing costs in addition to sales tax, title fees, etc.
In total, the price had gone from $59,000 to $75,042, something the man had not agreed to. The man then contacted Bennett, telling him that he didn't agree to the increased price, wanted to cancel the sale, and wanted a refund.
Bennett reportedly told the man that he would return the down payment on March 17, 2017. But the man never got it.
In May 2017, WCSO detectives contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a squad that specializes in financial investigations.
Through further investigation, FDLE was able to corroborate the complaint with solid evidence. By refusing to return the man's money, investigators determined that Bennett knowingly and intentionally deprived him of $20,000.
On March 16, 2018, the findings were brought to the State Attorney's Office in Crawfordville and a warrant for Bennett's arrest was issued three days after.
On Tuesday, Bennett was arrested and charged with exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult. He was booked into the Wakulla County Jail.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Bennett Better Built Homes was established in 2010.
