A tip to state authorities led to a New Brunswick man's arrest for theft from an elderly woman, the Middlesex prosecutor said.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- A New Brunswick man was arrested Friday and charged with convincing an elderly woman to deed her home over to him and then stealing thousands of dollars from her checking account, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
Fady Chedid, 52, was charged with two counts of theft, Carey said. He added that an investigation determined he convinced the woman to sign over title to her home and then withdrew several thousand dollars from her checking account by writing checks in various amounts between Sept. 4, 2013 and June 2014.
Chedid was in the Middlesex County jail Friday afternoon in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The investigation began after an anonymous tip was placed to state authorities at Adult Protective Services of the Division of Family and Children's Services. Carey said a legal guardian was assigned by the state who subsequently notified the prosecutor's office.
"The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting instances of elder fraud, abuse and exploitation," Carey said. "By fostering our partnerships with agencies such as Adult Protective Services, we become more effective in protecting those seniors who are vulnerable to these types of crimes."
The prosecutor said, "we encourage those who suspect such crimes to promptly report them to police."
The investigation was handled by county Detective Erik Larsen, the prosecutor said.
Carey said the investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Larsen at (732) 745-3263.
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.