A Sumter County man employed to perform lawn care and handyman work is accused of stealing more than $32,000 from his 77-year-old customer who is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
- Lady Lake man accused of stealing more than $32,000 from client
- The client is a 77-year-old veteran of the U.S. Navy
- Deputies: Suspect admitted to cashing the checks
Mark Dwayne Guemble, 47, was arrested and charged with grand theft from persons 65 or older, fraudulent use of personal identification less than $5,000, felony petit theft and uttering a forged instrument.
The Lady Lake Police Department and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office worked together on the case, a news release states.
The victim, a resident of The Villages, discovered in November 2016 that his checking account had been drained of all but $4.33. The victim's bank found about 50 of his checks, sequentially numbered, made payable to Guemble and totaling more than $32,000, deputies said.
The checks were cashed between March and November.
The victim later discovered a number of the checks had been stolen from his home and then contacted the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.
The victim denied writing the checks in question and stated he usually paid Guemble in cash, according to a report. The victim also stated Guemble hadn't done any work that justified payment of more than $32,000.
Investigation by financial crimes detectives confirmed all of the stolen checks were cashed by Guemble, deputies said.
When taken into custody, Guemble admitted to fraudulently cashing the victim's checks, stating he stole them because he was experiencing financial difficulty.
Guemble was booked into the Lake County Jail.