[IMAGE CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 11/17/19]
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HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida – A woman acting as power of attorney over an older, hospitalized woman reported banking irregularities to police, resulting in the arrest Friday of Joshua Gerrit Reyneveld, 30, on charges of theft from a person over 65 years of age, petit theft, scheme to defraud, and criminal use of personal identification. According to an arrest affidavit, Reyneveld is the victim’s grandson and resided in the same home – providing him access to a drawer in his grandmother’s bedroom where she kept her checkbook.
As part of a pre-arrest investigation, police first spoke to an employee at Amscott, located at 1100 North Boulevard, Leesburg, where Reyneveld was thought to have cashed one of the victim’s checks. The employee completed a sworn statement identifying Reyneveld (from a photo-series) as the one who cashed a $150 check on the victim’s account. Police interviewed a second Amscott employee at the Howey Police Department and this employee stated that Reyneveld attempted to cash a $225 check from the victim’s account, using an ID card purportedly belonging to Billy Dodds. Reyneveld’s attempt was thwarted when the employee noticed handwriting discrepancies between the $225 check and other past checks, according to police.
Police next interviewed Reynevald’s brother, Jeremiah, who had driven Reynevald to the Amscott. “Jeremiah stated Joshua did not show him the check at all, but was upset that they refused to cash the check. Jeremiah stated Joshua is back on drugs and was unsure where he would have gotten money at this time,” according to the police report. Jeremiah told police, “he does not know Billy Dodd but thinks he could possibly be related to a friend of Joshua’s. He stated he knows a male with the last name Dodd that is a drug dealer out of the County but does not know further information,” according to the affidavit. Police were any unable to contact Billy Dodd due to lacking a phone number.
Reynevald – who has numerous prior Lake County Jail bookings – is currently being held on a $6,500 bond.
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James Hope is a Florida Bar Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer who has been practicing criminal law in Tavares, Florida, since 1987. He has also been the Publisher and Executive Editor of Lake Legal News since 2009. He may be contacted at LakeLegalNews@gmail.com, or through his website at www.AttorneyJamesHope.com. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
