Ex-Police Officer Tried To Bilk Bucks Co. Woman Of $500K Estate: DA

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A former part-time police officer in two Lower Bucks County communities tried to deceive an elderly Langhorne resident into signing her last will and testament to gain control of her more than $500,000 estate, authorities said.

Carlito Cortez, 59, of Richboro, was preliminarily arraigned after surrendering Tuesday on charges of theft by deception, perjury, execution of documents of deception, false swearing, official oppression, theft, and receiving stolen property, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said.

"Like in every profession, there are criminals walking among us. For anyone with an elderly resident, this is alarming. He was very calculated in what he did," Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said during a press conference Wednesday announcing the charges.

Cortez was employed as a part-time officer in both Langhorne Borough and Yardley Borough. Public records indicate he worked in Yardley from 2013 to 2023 and in Langhorne since 2016 until he resigned in 2024.

Last week, a grand jury recommended charges against Cortez.

An investigation found that the married police officer began a relationship with a 76-year-old woman and obtained the victim’s signature on a last will and testament, which he falsely presented as a power of attorney document.

Cortez met the woman after he was assigned as a Langhorne police officer to investigate the March 2020 theft of two rings valued at $25,000 from her home safe.

The rings were never found, and no charges were filed in the theft, authorities said.

Authorities said the woman’s home contained valuable antiques and artwork and had an estate worth over $500,000.

"She was someone who had possessions of value," Schorn said.

Schorn said authorities did not recover the "bogus will." She said that an attorney noticed that he was trying to make a formal filing that was thwarted.

Despite the stalled investigation, Cortez continued to visit the victim, and their relationship evolved over three years.

A witness reported seeing Cortez's police vehicle at the victim's residence several nights a week for extended periods, often into the morning.

The victim stated she fell in love with Cortez, who reciprocated verbally only when she did things for him. She also indicated their relationship was not sexually intimate, authorities said.

Schorn said she did not know at this time if anyone was helping Cortez, who was released on $150,000 unsecured bail. The judge also ordered that Cortez have no contact with the victim.