A legal assistant at the Broward State Attorney’s Office was in jail Friday after turning herself in on charges of elderly exploitation and fraud.
Details about the arrest of Josephine Brown, 65, were not immediately available, but the Broward prosecutors’ office said she was suspended without pay effective immediately on Friday following her surrender.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, she is being held without bond pending a hearing. The specific charges are obtaining property over $50,000 by fraud and exploitation of the elderly over $100,000. The circumstances of the fraud and the names of the victim or victims have not yet been publicly released.
Brown’s son, DeBarris Luke James, is also in custody on six related charges.
To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, the Broward State Attorney’s Office asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint a prosecutor from another area. The governor appointed the State Attorney’s Office for the 20th Circuit, which covers southwest Florida, to handle the prosecution. A request for comment from that office was not immediately answered Friday.
Rafael Olmeda may be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
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