Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill has been charged with elder exploitation after allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from a 96-year-old woman in her district.
Hill, 58, walked out of the Orange County Jail on Thursday, just hours after he was arrested on seven felony charges following a year-long investigation into the alleged scam.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Monday suspending Hill from her position as commissioner for Orlando’s District 5 following news of her arrest.
Florida investigators say Hill used a power of attorney over the unnamed elderly victim to finance a lavish lifestyle for years, including a home in the Lake Mann Estates area of Orlando.
In addition to taking out a mortgage and renovating a home, Hill also spent more than $100,000 on a facelift, perfume, clothes, IV vitamins, a trip to Miami and dental surgery, according to court documents.
Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill has been charged with elder exploitation after allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from a 96-year-old woman
Hill, 58, was released from the Orange County Jail on Thursday, just hours after being arrested on seven felony charges
She allegedly spent over $100.00 in stolen money on a facelift, luxury perfumes and vacations
A state investigation that was triggered when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a tip from one of its staffers who had been fired.
According to court documents, Hill met the woman in March 2021 in her job as a commissioner and was supposed to help her get better living conditions, but within a month she had been given power of attorney.
Hill’s son and girlfriend are believed to live in the house that the former municipal official acquired with power of attorney.
Meanwhile, Hill is reportedly living in a separate home that once belonged to the elderly woman’s parents, which she reportedly spent much of her savings renovating.
According to the documents, Hill also used the woman’s savings for a New Year’s Eve vacation to Miami and for a large number of intravenous vitamins from a company called Vitalounge.
Hill allegedly obtained the woman’s power of attorney before exploiting her to obtain a mortgage for a house in Orlando (pictured) under the retiree’s name.
Hill reportedly lives in a separate home that reportedly once belonged to the elderly woman’s parents, which she reportedly spent much of her savings renovating.
Hill has had numerous other run-ins with the law that surfaced when she first ran for office in 2014.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, news emerged during her run that she had a criminal record that included 21 high-profile arrests dating back to 1983. The arrests included drug offenses, drunk driving, fraud and passing bad checks.
She was also arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022 for public intoxication, the outlet reported.
Hill’s son Rakeem was also arrested in 2015 when a stash of guns and drugs was found in a home she owned at the time, WFTV9 reports.
A petition to keep Hill away from the woman’s property and finances reportedly led to a judge issuing a temporary injunction earlier this month, evicting Hill from her home.
FDLE Special Agent Steve Brenton reportedly asked the woman about signing her power of attorney, saying, “She remembered signing some sort of document, but did not understand it and would never have agreed to give Hill a to give power of attorney.’
Brenton went on to say that when he looked at Hill’s expenses, “these purchases and/or bank withdrawals exceeded $100,000 and benefited Hill exclusively.”
He said that while her home had undergone renovations, the house the elderly woman lived in needed repairs, but Hill allegedly spent no money to repair it.
Hill’s son Rakeem (pictured) was also arrested in 2015 when a stash of guns and drugs was found in a house she owned at the time.
The officer’s affidavit stated that before Hill met the older woman, she had more than $164,000 in her bank account and a balance of approximately $650. As of October, she had $60,000 in her bank account and $10,000 on her credit card.
News 6 reported that FDLE was alerted to the alleged scheme last year, when a former assistant to the Orlando commissioner raised the alarm after they were fired.
The former employee, identified as Jacqueline Cockerham, said Hill “tormented” her at work, forcing her to work long hours and tend to her personal affairs.
Personal matters included cleaning the elderly woman’s home, which she said was littered with urine and cat feces.
The city of Orlando released a statement after the investigation began, claiming to have only recently learned of the allegations.
“The city has been notified of the warrant issued against Commissioner Hill,” a city spokesperson said.
“We are not part of the warrant and have no details of the allegations related to it.”