A 55-year-old man from Pennsylvania is now behind bars in Florida for a fraud he committed against an elderly man. Authorities later confirmed that the person is a well-known offender with an extensive criminal history in multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, and Kentucky.
Patrick Gorman, 55, last seen living in Ruffs Dale, Westmoreland County, got caught in Brevard County, Florida, on a Sunday, February 4. He was wanted in Polk County, Florida, for a warrant. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office shared that Gorman was known for dishonest business actions in Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
The investigation into Gorman was started in January
The Sheriff’s Office began looking into Gorman on January 18 when a family member of an older adult reported that three checks, adding up to $24,550, were given to Gorman. One check was supposedly for “roof repair.”
The older adult explained that on January 4, Gorman entered his home without asking, showed him pictures of a supposed hole in the roof he “fixed,” and asked for $8,750 for the job. However, the Sheriff’s Office found out no actual repair was done; Gorman had only applied some white coating. A roof expert confirmed the roof, which was only three years old, was fine.
The victim ended up paying Gorman, feeling he had no other choice.
The elderly victim paid the total amount to Gorman with three checks all associated with suspect’s driver license
The three checks given to Gorman had his Pennsylvania driver’s license number written on them, the deputies noted.
“The victim’s family has done a great job caring for him and had taken precautions to keep him safe. Unfortunately, bad guys can always find a way to do bad things. Our hope is that this bad guy gets locked-up for a lengthy time, so he’s unable to take advantage of anyone else.” – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Gorman was taken back to Polk County to face charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling, exploitation of the elderly and grand theft.
Authorities believe there might be other victims scammed by Gorman
Detectives believe there may be other victims in Polk County. If you or anyone you know may have been affected, contact Detective Wright at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit at 863-292-3300.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the 55-year-old Gorman was charged with Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling (F2), Exploitation of the Elderly (F3), and Grand Theft (F3).
