Pasco Deputies: Man Conned West Pasco Elderly Out of Money

A Pasco man stands accused of bilking elderly people residing in West Pasco out of their money while posing as a repairman.

Michael Jones, 26, told victims in Gulf Harbors, Port Richey and Hudson that he owned Mike’s Marine Construction, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office detective. This all happened in the last quarter of 2011.

In each case, the victims gave Jones a check to buy supplies, according to the detective’s arrest reports. He cashed the checks in each case but did not return to the residences.

In the Hudson case, Jones got a check for $750 and cashed it, according to reports. In the Gulf Harbors case, he cashed a check for $650. In the Port Richey case, he altered a check for $100 to make it look like it was for $400.

Jones, of 7747 Hardaway Drive,  was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of grand theft on a person over 65 and one count of passing a forged check, as well as additonal offenses. He was booked into the Land O’ Lakes Jail with bail set at $31,526.

Citizens who think they have been a victim of Jones can call 727-844-7711.