An ex-wife was convicted in a Central Florida fraud case for stealing her spouse’s retirement funds.
Robin Joanna Bell, 58, was found guilty by a jury in June of stealing her ex-husband’s retirement funds. The Honorable Judge Joel D. Fritton sentenced Bell to 25 years for grand theft over 100,000 counts, 20 years for two counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, 20 years for witness tampering, and five years for falsifying public documents. I announced. Her sentences will run concurrently.
Bell was also ordered to pay $153,000 in restitution to the victim and will be placed on probation for 15 years after serving his sentence.
“In today’s sentencing, we recognize the serious consequences of financial crimes that undermine trust and destroy lives. It robbed him of the peace of mind he had served,” said Bill Gladson, state attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit. “While justice has been served, it is important to recognize that no amount of prison time can restore what was taken from him. It is a reminder that betrayal by others has serious consequences.”
Back in July 2021, the victim reported to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) that his ex-wife, Bell, committed fraud by submitting false documents to obtain retirement benefits in violation of court orders. In 2015, as the victim and Ms. Bell were preparing to divorce, Ms. Bell requested half of the victim’s retirement benefits, as the victim was now retired. Bell was not retired at the time, but the victim was and was still receiving benefits.
The victim agreed to the request on the condition that Bell also receive half of his retirement benefits when he officially retires. A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) was filed and the judge finalized the terms that legally entitled each party to half of the other’s severance pay. With this new court order, Bell began receiving half of the victim’s retirement benefits.
By December 2020, the victim received notice that Mr. Bell had resigned. As a result, the victim contacted the Florida Retirement System (FRS) and began receiving half of her benefits. To his surprise, he was informed that FRS had received a document bearing the victim’s signature, signing Bell with all rights to the account. In addition, there was another document provided by Bell to FRS for the same purpose, which was not notarized but was signed by a witness.
The victim then contacted police to report the incident.
CCSO Detective Thomas Dowling was assigned to investigate the case and discovered that the notary’s seal on the document was fraudulent. Attempts were made to contact Bell and his attorney, but there was no response. Detective Dowling enlisted the help of Agent Bruce Arnold of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to locate witnesses who could confirm that the documents were forged.
While out on bail, Bell tried to get the victim to drop the charges, but was later charged with tampering.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Patsy Jacobs and Tara Hartman.
