Nationwide — Father and son Charles and Dillon Cook, who are from Mobile, have been accused of stealing $774,000 from an elderly woman’s retirement account after gaining her trust through their lawn care business and a false financial arrangement.
Charles Cook, 54, and his son Dillon, 30, ran a lawn care company and worked for the victim. Investigators say the two transferred large sums of money from her retirement account using checks and cash, according to WLBT.
Court documents reveal that the father and son allegedly created a deal in which Charles Cook would oversee the woman’s finances and future decisions. The District Attorney’s Office said the victim never agreed to such an arrangement.
Court records show the stolen amount reached $774,000, making it one of the largest cases of elder financial exploitation reported in Alabama. Carl Bates of the Better Business Bureau said he had seen cases where victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but never one involving this much money.
The National Council on Aging estimates that elder financial abuse costs victims nearly $23.8 billion every year. Experts urge families to only allow trusted individuals to manage finances and to put all agreements in writing.
“You can be fine today and medically have issues tomorrow, and if you don’t have somebody who you’ve put in charge of your affairs, once you’ve been incapacitated to say, then you know it becomes a huge issue and you can be taken advantage of very easily,” Bates said. “I think it’s very fortunate that the District Attorney has found these people before they skip town and will be able to prosecute.”
The District Attorney’s Office called the case one of the most despicable crimes they had investigated. Both Charles and Dillon Cook remain out on bond, set at a combined $140,000, and are scheduled to return to court on August 26.