FL Man Accused Of Stealing $20K From Montgomery County Woman

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A Florida man is facing charges in connection with a fraudulent refund scheme that targeted a Montgomery County woman.

Charles Horlesen, 31, of Kissimmee, Florida, was arrested Wednesday in Queen Anne's County and charged with theft, conspiracy to commit theft and obtaining property from a vulnerable adult, Montgomery County police said in a statement.

On Monday, Horlesen met with the older woman, who believed she had a problem with her Norton antivirus software, police said. After Horlesen told her she had received an excessive refund, police said the victim was instructed to withdraw $20,000 from her bank account and give it to Horlesen to resolve the issue.

Detectives later identified Horlesen as the suspect and, with assistance from law enforcement partners, took him into custody two days later.

Montgomery County police were assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office, the Fairfax County Police Department and the Prince George’s County Police Department.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area who were targeted by Horlesen. Anyone who had contact with him is asked to call MCPD’s Financial Crimes Section at 240-773-6330.