Man Charged With Exploiting Grandmother

A Sebring man was free Monday on $30,000 bail after he was arrested and accused of writing checks for more than $15,000 from his 94-year-old grandmother's checking account.

Edward Gene Bradford, 49, of Sebring, was arrested on warrants and charged with crimes against a person - exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult less than $20,000 and grand theft $10,000 or more but less than $20,000.

A call was received at an undisclosed time and day by the Adult Abuse Hotline, 1-800-96-ABUSE (22873), said Sheriff's Lt. John Chess, at the Special Victims Unit, alleging that Bradford was constantly writing checks on the victim's account.

The victim was not living at her home at the time, possibly for health reasons.

"Bradford acknowledged he was aware of his grandmother's condition and signed an affidavit designating himself as the healthcare surrogate," the arrest report stated.

Detectives allege that Bradford used $8,567 of his grandmother's money to buy items to establish himself in the business of lining underground gas tanks.

On Aug. 29, investigators went to the victim's Sebring address, where Bradford was living. He allowed the deputies to walk through the property, according to the arrest report.

A compilation of checks written by Bradford totaled $15,235, not including a $7,097.50 check paid to a local attorney for an application for guardianship, which is still pending, according to Sheriff's Lt. Tim Lethbridge.

The checks made out to his name had been written with notations in the bottom left, indicating they were supposed to be used for different repairs around the house.

Bradford told investigators he was in the process of renovating a room for his grandmother so when she was well enough to come home she would have a place to stay.

Deputies noted that they saw plumbing work done on one of the victim's toilets, but could not see any sign of any other work.

He explained that he hadn't actually started any of the work, but was planning to do so, the report stated.

During a sworn interview conducted on Sept. 9, he admitted he stayed in touch with the victim daily, the report stated. He told deputies that in March, his mother, who was the victim's daughter, died. He came to Florida to break the news to her, according to the report.

He told investigators that at that time he tried to get the victim to sign a power of attorney, the report stated. However, the victim would not sign. He said he wanted the power of attorney in case something happened to the victim, the report stated.

When asked about the checks written on the victim's account, Bradford explained his grandmother signed several checks in case of an emergency. He said when he arrived in Sebring he found the checks and put his name in the "Pay to the Order" box, the report stated.

When asked about the notations at the bottom of the checks, he told detectives that when he got his business going and he began taking care of his grandmother, "these things would not be again charged to her," the report stated.