A Florida caregiver has been arrested after Port St. Lucie police said a months-long investigation uncovered evidence of financial exploitation and neglect involving an elderly man in her care.
Barbara Ann Baumgarten, 60, was arrested September 17 with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Task Force. Port St. Lucie police said she was charged with grand theft from a person 65 or older involving at least $50,000, exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult involving at least $50,000, and neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult.
Financial records reviewed during the investigation showed one of the man’s accounts falling from approximately $105,971 in March 2023 to about $4,897 by April 2026, according to police. Detectives also examined a $616,550 mortgage on Baumgarten’s residence that listed the man as a co-borrower even though the property belonged solely to her. Police said they developed evidence that he did not know his signature appeared on the mortgage.
The investigation did not begin with a financial complaint. It started March 18, when the man, then 84, was found injured on the floor of his Port St. Lucie home and reported that four men had entered the house and assaulted him. What detectives found while checking that account eventually shifted the inquiry toward his care, finances and legal arrangements.
An Assault Report Opened a Much Larger Investigation
Port St. Lucie detectives reviewed surveillance footage from around the home and found no one entering or leaving during the period in question. Police said there were also no signs of forced entry or theft, while the man gave inconsistent accounts of what had happened.
Investigators determined that he was experiencing significant cognitive difficulties and concluded that the original assault allegation was unfounded. Detectives continued examining his circumstances and well-being.
Police described what followed as an extensive, months-long investigation documented in a 45-page investigative report. Detectives worked with medical providers, other caregivers, relatives, financial institutions and additional agencies as they examined both the care the man was receiving and the handling of his assets.
Police Say Baumgarten Had Taken Control of His Affairs
According to Port St. Lucie police, the man’s increasing physical and cognitive difficulties had left him more dependent on Baumgarten. Investigators said she had obtained significant control over his legal and financial affairs and had become both his agent under a power of attorney and his health-care surrogate.
Police also said detectives developed evidence that the man had become isolated from relatives and friends. Investigators examined changes to his estate documents that benefited Baumgarten as part of the broader financial inquiry.
Detectives also reviewed the man’s financial records, which showed that an account containing approximately $105,971 in March 2023 held about $4,897 by April 2026.
The $616,550 Mortgage
The mortgage was tied to Baumgarten’s own residence. Police said the elderly man appeared as a co-borrower even though the property was solely in Baumgarten’s name.
Investigators said they developed evidence that the man was unaware his signature appeared on the mortgage. Police examined that transaction alongside the account activity, Baumgarten’s authority under the power of attorney and the changes to the man’s estate arrangements.
What Florida Law Requires From an Agent
A power of attorney can give another person substantial authority, but Florida law also places specific duties on the person exercising it. Under Section 709.2114, an agent is a fiduciary and must act within the authority granted by the document, act in good faith and avoid acting contrary to the principal’s best interests.
The statute also requires an agent to keep records of receipts, disbursements and transactions carried out on the principal’s behalf. Those records can be requested by the principal, a court-appointed guardian and certain government agencies responsible for protecting the person’s welfare, among others. A court can order their disclosure as well.
Florida’s elder-exploitation law specifically addresses breaches of fiduciary duty by an agent acting under a power of attorney when that breach results in an unauthorized appropriation, transfer of property or improper benefit. The statute also covers obtaining or using an elderly or disabled person’s property for someone else’s benefit in certain circumstances, including when the person responsible knows or reasonably should know that the victim lacks the capacity to consent.
When the property involved in exploitation is valued at $50,000 or more, the statute classifies the offense as a first-degree felony. Florida’s separate elder-theft provision likewise makes theft involving at least $50,000 a first-degree felony when the statutory age and knowledge requirements are met.
Those provisions explain the significance of the power of attorney and the $50,000 thresholds contained in the charges.
DCF Removed the Man From Her Care
Port St. Lucie police said the Florida Department of Children and Families became involved during the investigation and determined that the man lacked the capacity to make decisions independently. He was removed from Baumgarten’s care, placed under temporary guardianship and reunited with his family.
The police announcement said Baumgarten was initially being held on $300,000 bond. TCPalm, citing St. Lucie County Jail information, likewise reported a $300,000 bond following her September 17 booking.
A later WPBF report said Baumgarten remained in the St. Lucie County Jail on a total bond of $310,000 following her first court appearance.
Baumgarten has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Florida’s Department of Children and Families accepts reports of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of elderly people and vulnerable adults through its Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. Callers reporting suspected elder or vulnerable-adult abuse should select option 2. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and DCF directs people to call 911 when a vulnerable adult is in immediate danger.