INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A man responsible for watching the home of an incarcerated woman instead took the woman’s credit cards and withdrew more than $1,000 from her bank account, deputies said.
Neighbors spotted the man – identified as Rodney Stuart Adams – and a second woman identified as Dorothy Henry – living in the victim’s home, reports show. The victim, who was friends with the man and woman, gave the two permission to watch her home, but not to live in it, authorities reported.
Adams admitted to the woman he took all of the money out of her account, reports show. The victim told deputies she left her purse containing the credit cards and a folder with all of her log-ins, passwords and PIN numbers on the kitchen counter the day she was sentenced to prison.
The thefts happened in late 2015 and early 2016, reports show.
On Saturday, deputies arrested Adams, of the 1500 block of 3rd Court, on seven counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, criminal use of personal information and third-degree grand theft. Adams was held Wednesday at the Indian River County Jail on $60,000 bond.
In 2017, deputies arrested Henry, 28, of the 1400 block of 15th Avenue, on charges of dealing in stolen property and third-degree grand theft. Investigators said Henry took several items from the victim’s home worth more than $2,000 total and sold them through a Facebook yard sale group.
Deputies responded to a theft complaint in April 2016 at a home in the 1500 block of 3rd Court. The victim – who was serving a three-year sentence at the time on an unrelated case – contacted deputies after getting word that Adams and Henry were staying at her residence without her permission, reports show.
Deputies spoke with Adams, who said the victim allowed him to take all of the money from her bank account, authorities said. The victim disputed that, saying she never gave Adams permission to withdraw the cash.
Deputies conducted a controlled phone call July 2017 between the victim and Adams. Adams admitted to the theft and also said he used the victim’s credit card to purchase tattoo equipment for $133, reports show.
Deputies reviewed the victim’s bank statements, which showed eight different ATM withdrawals totaling $1,100 from the victim’s account.
Deputies arrested Adams Saturday on a warrant. Adams has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Jan. 18, 2019, court records show.