Feb. 20--A convicted murderer claiming to be a Chicago-area church chaplain allegedly swindled an 84-year-old man out of $67,000, authorities said this week.
Enrique Borges, 50, of the 2800 block of North Mobile Avenue in Chicago, has been charged with financial exploitation of the elderly as well as aggravated identity theft for allegedly posing as his victim's son-in-law. During a Thursday court hearing, Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan ordered him held in lieu of $100,000 bail Thursday.
The victim contacted officials at his church with concerns about the safety of his money, According to the Cook County State's Attorney's office. The victim speaks no English and cannot read or write, prosecutors said.
After that, authorities say, the victim was introduced to Borges, who claimed to be a chaplain at the church -- whose name and address weren't released by authorities -- and wore a badge that prosecutors described as "police-like." Within three days the victim had signed over power of attorney to Borges, who on Jan. 15 allegedly proceeded to close the victim's personal bank account and open a joint account at a different bank by claiming to be the victim's son-in-law.
According to prosecutors, the victim had no idea Borges was claiming to be related to him, and did not realize Borges had opened a joint bank account.
From Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, Borges transferred more than $67,000 from the joint bank account to his personal account, prosecutors said. The victim did not discover this until Feb. 4, when he went to the bank on his own and was informed that the money had been transferred to Borges' account, according to prosecutors. When the bank learned that the victim had not given his permission to open the joint account, bank officials froze both the joint account as well as Borges's personal accounts, prosecutors allege.
Borges was arrested after showing up at the bank on Feb. 17, and had the police-like badge, the victim's debit card and some of the victim's personal documents with him when he was taken into custody, prosecutors said.
Borges was paroled in 1998 after serving prison time for murder, and he also has been convicted of various other crimes, prosecutors said in court Thursday. An attorney for Borges said Borges is married with six children.
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