More charges in Bradenton’s pest control burglary scam that targeted seniors
More charges have been filed against a man who impersonated a pest control worker so he could burglarize the homes of senior citizens in Bradenton.
Sean Frank, 31, of Pompano Beach was charged in the River Oaks Condominium burglary on Wednesday and has now been charged in the Ironwood/Pinebrook burglaries.
In total, Frank is charged with three counts of burglary to an occupied dwelling and three counts of scheming to defraud, Bradenton Police Department said Friday in a news release.
On Feb. 24, Frank and another man posed as pest control workers and entered homes in’ the Ironwood/Pinebrook neighborhood and River Oaks condominiums. Once inside, one of the men distracted the residents by convincing them to help him move furniture so he could spray, while the other man stole valuables from the homes.
A victim told investigators she let the men into her home at the River Oak Condominium complex to spray for insects. After they left, she noticed cash, jewelry and other items were missing.
Frank’s pest control scam is believed to stretch across several Florida jurisdictions, the release said.
In May, the Bradenton Herald reported that Frank and his cousin, Laura Frank, 39, also of Pompano Beach, both faced charges of home invasion in the same type of pest control scam by false impersonation, grand theft from someone 65 years old or older, and coordination with others in theft in excess of $3,000.
After the pair were charged, the Manatee County Sheriff arrested the two of them then for committing the same scam on residents living in Bayshore. An elderly woman had $3,000 worth of jewelry stolen from her home at Bayshore on The Lake condos off 14th Street West, and another possible victim had two wedding rings taken in the 2300 block of Bayshore Drive.
During that arrest, deputies found a pump sprayer and several jewelry pieces in a trash bin in a laundry room on the fourth floor of the condo building. The jewelry belonged to the elderly woman, and she identified the two suspects, and they were arrested
Frank is being held at the Escambia County Jail.
Bradenton Police advise residents to not allow anyone into their home that didn’t they didn’t hire. If someone claiming to be a contractor working on behalf of a homeowners’ association, management company or another company asks to enter your home, and you aren’t expecting them, confirm their employment and identity before letting them in.
If you have information on this case, contact Detective Jay Gow at 941-932-9373 or jay.gow@bradentonpd.com, Det. Todd Freed at 941-932-9370 or todd.freed@bradentonpd.com. You also can email any information on this or other cases to BPDTips@BradentonPD.com.
To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000, call Crime Stoppers (toll-free) at 866-634-8477 (TIPS) or send an anonymous E-Tip through manateecrimestoppers.com.
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This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 10:26 AM.
