A 68-year-old Deltona man was arrested this week after allegedly stealing a debit card from a blind woman and using it to make nearly $5,000 in unauthorized purchases.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the victim had hired a man, identified as registered sex offender William Edward Shaw, Jr., to perform maintenance work at her home.
However, VCSO alleges that Shaw “snuck into (the victim’s) bedroom, got into her purse and stole her [debit] card.”
Shaw allegedly used the stolen card to purchase approximately $5,000 worth of various items before the card was deactivated. The sheriff’s office states that Shaw then “threw [the card] down a sewer drain.”
On Tuesday, January 6, Shaw was placed under arrest and booked into Volusia County Jail, where he remains in custody without bond. He is being charged with possession of a stolen debit card, petit theft, exploitation of an elderly adult (less than $10,000), illegal use of a debit card, and grand theft (over $750 but less than $5,000).
The day after Shaw’s arrest, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood stated, “If this isn’t Scumbag of the Week material, I don’t know what is.”