A well-known Miami Gardens pastor and businessman is facing multiple charges after authorities said he stole an elderly man’s home through a complicated scheme to defraud.
Eric Readon, pastor of the New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, was arrested Tuesday on charges including exploitation of an elderly person, organized scheme to defraud, conspiracy to commit organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and theft from a person 65 or older, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said.
Readon, 46, was booked into the Miami-Dade jail where he was being held on $42,500 bond, records showed. Attorney information wasn’t available.
Miami-Dade Corrections Eric Readon
Prosecutors said the scheme dates back to 2015, when the victim, 76-year-old Edward Fuller, was attempting to complete construction of his retirement dream home in Miami.
Fuller had the exterior of the home completed but couldn’t get financing to finish the interior.
He was at the home in July 2015 when he was approached by Readon, who he didn’t know, who told Fuller that he had a friend in the Miami-Dade Permit Office who told him Fuller needed help getting financing to finish the house, prosecutors said.
Readon told Fuller that for $15,000, he would help Fuller get a loan to cover the construction costs, but said Readon could only get the loan if Readon owned 50% of the property, prosecutors said.
Readon had Fuller sign over 50%…
