A Fort Lauderdale man was arrested after he was accused of stealing nearly $600,000 from his 84-year-old friend, leaving him with a bank balance of just 5 cents, authorities said.
Howard Jay Juntiff, 56, was booked into a Broward jail Tuesday on charges including money laundering, fraud, exploitation of elderly, and criminal use of personal identification information, records showed.
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The alleged fraud occurred between Sept. 21 2022 and Dec. 5, 2024, involving an 84-year-old victim who lived in Pompano Beach and at an assisted living facility in Lauderhill.
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According to an arrest report, Juntiff, a close friend, had been taking care of the victim and had access to all his personal identification information.
Juntiff allegedly used the victim's debit card without his permission and was able to steal over $593,000 from the victim through online money transfers and ATM withdrawals, the report said.
The victim, described as a vulnerable adult who requires a wheelchair, was checking his Chase account in December when he was shocked to discover there was a balance of just 5 cents, the report said.
He contacted family and investigators responded to the assisted living facility.
The elderly victim said he had sold two properties in the previous 12 to 15 months, bringing in over $500,000, which should have still been in the account, the report said.
The victim had initially declined to prosecute, hoping the funds would be returned without authorities pursuing criminal charges, but when Juntiff was identified as the suspect he said he wished to prosecute, the report said.
Juntiff surrendered to police and was booked into jail. In court Wednesday, he was granted a $250,000 bond and ordered to stay away from the victim.
