A Florida man who allegedly impersonated billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk on Facebook defrauded an elderly woman out of at least a quarter of a million dollars, police said.
Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan, Jr., a 56-year-old Bradenton resident, was arrested Wednesday for grand theft, Bradenton Police officials said.
According to police, the 74-year-old Texas woman befriended an "Elon Musk" account on Facebook last year and spent several months exchanging messages with the account.
The woman was encouraged to invest in Musk's businesses and was promised a $55 million return, police said.
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Records showed the woman transferred $250,000 to bank accounts owned by Moynihan and his painting and pressure washing business, police said.
But the amount sent could be much higher, with her husband telling investigators she gave "Musk" around $600,000, police said.
Police on Thursday released body camera footage of Moynihan's arrest. He was booked into jail, and attorney information wasn't available.
