Man entrusted with home of jailed disabled woman arrested for allowing others to live in it and throw away all her possessions

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Charles Edward Williams, 79, of High Springs, was arrested yesterday on charges of scheming to defraud and obtain property and exploitation of a disabled adult; he allegedly allowed two others to live in the home belonging to a mentally disabled jailed woman and throw away all her possessions.

The victim has been in the Alachua County Jail since May 29, 2021. She was found incompetent to stand trial in October 2021 and committed to a Department of Children and Families treatment facility, although she is currently in the Alachua County Jail.

The victim verbally entrusted Williams with the care of her home, which is part of the estate of her recently-deceased mother, and the arrest report notes that the home would be the victim’s only option for a residence after her release.

Williams allegedly gave two people access to the home and possibly promised they could take permanent possession of it. The two others allegedly changed the locks and rented a dumpster to throw away or burn all the contents of the home, including clothing, photographs, artwork, furniture, mattresses, and personal items.

The victim confirmed in an interview that she had given Williams permission to enter and maintain the property, but she was unaware that the home would be occupied. She said she never gave permission to anyone to remove any items.

Williams is alleged to have “full knowledge that the victim had no awareness of the occupation of her home and did not have the mental capacity to make major financial decisions or make determinations that could negatively impact her long-term well-being and recovery.”

Williams has been charged with scheming to defraud and obtain property and exploitation of a disabled adult. He has been released on his own recognizance with a GPS monitor. He also has a pending misdemeanor charge for selling beer without a license in June of 2021; he was arrested in October on that case and also released on his own recognizance at that time.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.