A Kissimmee man’s plan to fix up and flip a Lexus allegedly took a costly detour through an elderly Marion County resident’s bank account, leaving the victim with more than $16,000 in unauthorized purchases, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Amar Ally, 39, was arrested November 10 on charges of exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of a credit card and unlawful use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
According to the arrest affidavit, the investigation began August 4 when deputies responded to a report of suspected financial exploitation involving an elderly Marion County resident who had suffered a stroke and required ongoing assistance with his medical and financial affairs.
The victim had been experiencing problems receiving pension payments from the United Kingdom when a family friend, Amira Sabr, offered to help resolve the issue and assist with filing taxes.
Sabr, who is married to Ally, gained access to the victim’s personal and financial information while helping with the pension issue. In March, she accompanied the victim and his financial power of attorney to Chase Bank, where a new checking account was established.
On June 17, Sabr requested the victim’s bank card, explaining that she needed it to finalize the pension transfers. The card was provided to her, along with authorization to make certain purchases for the victim’s household.
However, investigators say the arrangement soon became much more expensive than anyone anticipated.
When the victim’s financial representative regained access to the account on July 1, more than 200 unfamiliar transactions totaling approximately $30,000 were discovered, primarily involving purchases from Amazon and eBay.
The transactions prompted an investigation that eventually led detectives to Ally.
According to the affidavit, subpoenaed eBay records revealed 35 purchases totaling $8,026.87 through an account called “Azar Auto Repair,” with Ally listed as the buyer.
All 35 purchases involved automotive parts, which were shipped to an Orlando auto repair business and Ally’s Kissimmee residence.
Amazon records also revealed numerous purchases made under Ally’s and Sabr’s names. Investigators ultimately identified 99 Amazon items totaling $8,677.32 that were shipped directly to Ally’s home.
During an October 19 interview, the elderly victim confirmed that he had never authorized Ally or Sabr to use his bank card for personal purchases and wanted to pursue criminal charges.
When investigators initially contacted the couple on October 30, both denied making purchases on eBay. Ally also claimed he had never used the victim’s card.
That story reportedly changed during a November 10 interview at the sheriff’s South Marion District Office.
According to the affidavit, Ally initially maintained that he had never accessed the card or received the automotive parts. However, when an investigator presented a delivery photograph showing one of the purchased items at Ally’s residence, he acknowledged that the photograph depicted his home.
Ally then asked his wife to leave the room so he could speak privately with the investigator.
Once she was gone, Ally allegedly confessed.
Investigators say Ally admitted accessing a photograph of the victim’s bank card on his wife’s cellphone without permission and using the information to make unauthorized purchases.
Ally reportedly explained that he was experiencing financial difficulties and had purchased a Lexus from Azar Auto Repair with plans to repair the vehicle and resell it for a profit.
Rather than paying for the repairs himself, investigators say Ally used the elderly victim’s money to purchase automotive parts through eBay. He also admitted using the card to buy personal items on Amazon.
In total, investigators attributed $16,704.19 in verified fraudulent purchases to Ally, including the $8,026.87 in eBay transactions and $8,677.32 in Amazon merchandise delivered to his residence.
The affidavit also notes that Ally wrote an apology letter to the victim following his confession.
Although investigators initially identified approximately $30,000 in questionable transactions, some purchases had been authorized for the victim’s household and could not be verified as fraudulent.
Ally was arrested following the November 10 interview and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was initially held without bond.
All charges are allegations, and Ally is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
