ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) -- A Florida realtor was accused of exploiting a hospitalized couple and taking control of their assets.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the arrest of Jason Valiant, calling him a "scumbag of the holiday season."
The couple initially hired Valiant to sell their property, but according to Chitwood, "they chose a wolf in sheep’s clothing who saw an opportunity to make himself rich." Valiant is accused of creating fake documents declaring himself their health care surrogate and power of attorney when they were hospitalized.
Valiant even went so far as to sign a do not resuscitate order for one of the victims, who was taken off of life support, Chitwood said.
"He proceeded to drain money from their bank accounts, willed their home and two other properties to himself, and even took their Dodge Ram pickup for his own use across Central Florida," Chitwood wrote in a social media post. "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."
The three properties acquired after the victim's death were worth $1.6 million. Valiant and another realtor, Constance Kellner, planned to develop two oceanfront properties into a large condo complex or hotel, Chitwood said.
Kellner, also known as 'Coastal' Connie Kellner, was charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact.
Valiant was charged with 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.
Chitwood added: "His bond is $375,000 and my hope is he spends the holidays in a cell for what he did to two people at their most vulnerable."
