$86,000 Drained From Florida Couple’s Retirement Savings, Son Faces Exploitation Charges

A Florida man stands accused of siphoning tens of thousands of dollars from his aging parents’ retirement funds through unauthorized bank transactions.

Rafael Evelio Barcelo, the 67-year-old resident of Hialeah, allegedly managed the couple’s finances before making two large withdrawals from their Bank of America account, reports Local 10.

One withdrawal involved a $34,000 check labeled as a gift that went to Barcelo’s business, Shophar LLC. The second was a $52,000 cashier’s check that Barcelo cashed personally before moving the money to another bank.

The parents, who moved from Cuba decades earlier and had lived in the same home since 1972, told investigators they never approved the transfers and had no idea where the funds went.

Discovery of the missing money came during a family bank visit prompted by a dispute over the father’s care after his December 2024 fall and subsequent cognitive decline.

Authorities note the withdrawals left the couple with insufficient funds to cover various expenses, including utilities, property taxes, groceries and other bills.

Barcelo now faces multiple charges, including exploitation of an elderly or disabled person involving more than $50,000, grand theft from a person over 65 involving more than $50,000, and organized scheme to defraud involving $50,000 or more.

Barcelo remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $22,500 bond.

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