Man gets 8 years for moving scam against elderly woman in Cedar Park
A man who posed as a mover and stole $26,000 worth of belongings from an 80-year-old Cedar Park woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison, officials said.
Jonathan Ruiz Oviedo, 31, of Lewisville, was convicted of theft from the elderly, a third-degree felony, after a two-day trial that ended on Feb. 13, according to a news release from the Williamson County district attorney's office. Lewisville is about 25 miles northwest of Dallas.
Oviedo also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. The victim hired Oviedo to help her move in August 2021 after she saw him working on another moving job in her Cedar Park apartment complex, the release said.
Oviedo posed as a representative of the moving company and agreed to move the woman's belongings and store them for several months, according to the release. It said she paid him $600 in cash but that he never returned her property, including jewelry, silverware, clothing and furniture.
More: 'Jugging' victim shoots driver who stole money from him, Cedar Park police say
He also ignored multiple texts and calls from the woman's daughter, who tried to find her mother's property, the release said. It said he later demanded more money to release the property but failed to show up at the arranged times. Oviedo also lied to the Cedar Park police who tried to recover the property, officials said.
He was arrested on unrelated charges in Denton County on Feb. 6, 2023, and brought to Williamson County because of a theft warrant, the release said.
A Williamson County judge ordered Oviedo to return the property and released him with an ankle monitor, but Oviedo did not comply and was arrested again on Sept. 21, the news release said. He has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and attempted burglary, officials said.
More: Police: Caretaker caught on video stealing from elderly client in Round Rock
“This case is a reminder that there are criminals out there who prey on the vulnerable and the elderly," said District Attorney Shawn Dick. "My office will continue to protect the public from harmful scams by prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man gets 8 years for moving scam against elderly woman in Cedar Park
