Polk Attorney Jason Penrod arrested for Grand Theft over $100,000 (1st degree felony)
Sheriff Grady Judd will discuss the arrest of Polk County Attorney Jason Penrod on the first degree felony charge of Grand Theft over $100,000 (F/1) today (Thursday, September 5, 2024) at 2:30 p.m. at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center at 1891 Jim Keene Boulevard, Winter Haven. He was arrested in Marion County last night on a Polk County warrant.
A lawsuit was filed on August 21 in Circuit Court for the 10th Judicial Circuit against Jason Penrod, owner of Family Elder Law, alleging that the attorney withdrew nearly $1.8 million from a client’s trust fund to his own bank account for personal use.
Charles Anderson and Sherry Prevoznik, the surviving children of David D. Anderson, filed the civil lawsuit in Bartow through their attorney, after Penrod confessed to depleting the trust assets for his personal use. The lawsuit also seeks to remove Penrod as successor trustee.
The original trust was established in 2014 for David D Anderson; Penrod was designated as the successor trustee upon Anderson’s, death, and his two children were named as sole beneficiaries. The elder Mr. Anderson passed away in 2021, according to the lawsuit.
In letters written to Anderson and Prevoznik, a copy of which was submitted to the court with the complaint, Penrod admits to liquidating the trust fund and utilizing the money to fuel a gambling addiction at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.
The following is a copy of the two-page letter that, according to court documents, was hand-delivered to Charles Anderson, by Jason Penrod in June. Penrod met with Anderson at a coffee shop to deliver this information. This document is noted as exhibit B in the lawsuit as filed.
The Lake Wales Daily offers this document so it may be interpreted by the reader directly.
In the letter, Penrod confesses that over a period of three months, beginning in October 2023, he transferred funds on several occasions from the Anderson trust into his personal account until the funds were depleted.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiffs are requesting damages from the defendant in the amount of $5.25 million, or about three times the actual damages sustained, plus attorney, fees, and court costs.
On August 8, Penrod filed a petition to the Florida Supreme Court, requesting the revocation of his ability to practice law in the state of Florida, with an option to apply for readmission to the Florida Bar at a future date. The Florida Bar has confirmed that there are pending disciplinary charges. Should the petition to the Florida Supreme Court be granted, any pending disciplinary charges against Penrod, would be dismissed at that time.
Family Elder Law was established in 2013, and until July, maintained offices in Lake Wales, Lakeland, and Sebring. All three offices were closed suddenly at that time, causing concern for clients, who found the doors locked at the offices, the website and all social media taken down, and phone calls unanswered.
