MIAMI (WSVN) - A man is behind bars after, prosecutors said, he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his elderly parents’ life savings.
Sixty-seven year-old Rafael Evelio Barcelo is facing first-degree felony charges, including exploitation or an elderly/disabled person over $50,000, grand theft from a person over 65, and organized scheme to defraud, according to authorities.
Investigators said Barcelo took responsibility for handling his parents’ finances, including their retirement money.
Authorities said that after Barcelo’s father suffered a fall in December 2024, his mental and physical state began to decline. At this time, prosecutors said, Barcelo began withdrawing $86,000 from the family’s account.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle held a news conference with Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to discuss the case on Wednesday afternoon.
“Rafael Barcelo allegedly used his position of trust as the victims’ son and partial caregiver to exploit them by enriching himself and another family member, specifically his son, by withdrawing that $86,000, everything that couple had, everything his parents had from the bank account,” said Fernandez Rundle. “When the parents found out that their son had done this terrible, offensive betrayal, they cried.”
Investigators said Barcelo took the savings over a span of a few months.
They also said Barcelo’s parents discovered the money had been withdrawn during a trip to the bank with their daughter.
“Thirty-four thousand [dollars] in January the same year, by a check. And it said on it, ‘A gift.’, and the gift went to Barcelo’s son. Additionally, $52,000 had been withdrawn by Barcelo in Febuary, the next month, in a cashier’s check,” said Fernandez Rundle, “The withdrawals of these funds deprived the elderly victims, his parents, the funds that they needed for essential expenses.”
When his parents checked their savings depleted, they ended up withdrawing the remaining amount of approximately $7,000.
“Very distraught, the victims immediately withdrew the only thing they had left, $7,000, from the [savings] account. [He] left them $70 in their checking account,” said Fernandez Rundle.
Prosecutors said the case highlights a much larger problem. Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of fraud victims 60 and older, with officials saying that the group is being targeted because of their savings and vulnerability.
“Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, using technology, emotion manipulation and identity profiling,” said Fernandez Rundle.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office advised families to look out for warning signs on potential fraud.
Barcelo’s arrest is one of many arrests by the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Exploitation Unit. Eleven people in Miami-Dade County have been arrested and charged in the past four years, officials said.
“These are our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our neighbors, and they deserve to age with dignity, to feel safe,” said Levine Cava.
Barcelo’s father is said to have passed away months after discovering his son’s alleged financial misconduct and betrayal.
Barcelo’s bond has not yet been set. 7News spoke with Barcelo’s son, who declined to comment on the allegations against his father.
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