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Hialeah man charged in alleged $86,000 elder-exploitation scheme
A Hialeah man was arrested and charged after authorities say he took about $86,000 from his elderly parents' bank account. Rafael Evelio Barcelo, 67, faces counts including exploitation of an elderly or disabled person over $50,000, grand theft from a person over 65, and organized scheme to defraud. Prosecutors said Barcelo had access to the couple’s finances while managing their accounts; in February 2025 the parents discovered roughly $86,000 missing after previously having about $93,000. The case was announced at a Miami-Dade news conference attended by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; an attorney for Barcelo issued a statement after the arrest, and Barcelo will face the pending criminal proceedings. All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.