Handyman Earns Elderly Woman's Trust, Swindles Her Out Of $150K: Police

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A Lake County man who an elderly woman initially hired as a handyman is accused of swindling her out of more than $150,000, authorities said.

The man, identified as Harold A. Boyle, later became the woman’s caretaker and now faces charges in Lake County Circuit Court, police told Patch on Monday.

“He initially met the victim after the victim hired him as a handyman to fix things around the house,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli told Patch. “Then from there, he was able to slowly earn the victim’s trust. I am not sure of exactly how long they knew each other before he became her caretaker.”

The investigation began in April after a credit union reported a possible financial crime involving an elderly customer, Covelli said. Deputies responded and learned Boyle had added his name and information to the victim’s financial accounts, officials said.

Sheriff’s detectives launched an investigation and determined Boyle allegedly stole more than $150,000 from the woman over a period of about three months, Covelli said. Investigators later obtained a seizure warrant and froze approximately $30,000 of the funds.

A Lake County Grand Jury indicted Boyle on June 24, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Covelli said he was taken into custody on June 29 at a residence in the 25100 block of West Linden Lane in unincorporated Antioch.

He has been charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and theft by deception in Lake County Circuit Court.

The investigation remains ongoing, Covelli said.