A Florida woman convicted of exploiting a widowed neighbor for $350,000
Kimberly Ruth Bitting, 58, of Leesburg, Florida, obtained power of attorney over an elderly neighbor shortly after the victim's husband died in August 2021, then spent roughly 15 to 18 months writing checks to herself and others, making repeated ATM withdrawals, transferring investment funds, and using more than $137,000 to buy two parcels of land titled to a trust in her own name. She was convicted on all counts in August 2026; sentencing was still pending when this page was last reviewed.
- Year
- 2026
- Where
- United States
- Outcome
- Convicted
- Reported loss
- $350,000
- Victims
- One individual
- Schemes
- Power of attorney and caregiver financial abuse
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-12
The facts, as recorded
- Bitting obtained power of attorney over the victim shortly after the victim's husband died in August 2021.
- Over the following 15 to 18 months, Bitting issued checks from the victim's accounts to herself and others, made repeated ATM withdrawals, and transferred funds out of investment accounts.
- Approximately $137,000 of the stolen funds was used to buy two parcels of land in Calhoun County, Florida, titled to a trust in Bitting's name.
- Bitting restricted the victim's communication with family, controlled access to her home, and threatened to have her declared legally incompetent.
- The victim eventually left the arrangement voluntarily, relocated to New York to live with her sister, and revoked the power of attorney.
- Total losses were approximately $350,000.
- Bitting was convicted on all charges — elderly exploitation through breach of power of attorney, elderly exploitation through abuse of a position of trust or confidence, elderly exploitation through negligent or intentional misuse, and cashing or depositing an item with intent to defraud — on 19 August 2026.
- Co-defendant Ashton Silvis, the victim's daughter, entered an open plea on the eve of trial and was awaiting sentencing; caregiver Lara Larsen testified for the prosecution.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Bitting "systematically exploited a vulnerable senior widow grieving the loss of her husband, abusing a power of attorney."
Why this case matters
This is the most recent and highest-value power of attorney case documented on this page, and one of the clearest examples of the pattern this scheme follows from beginning to end: a grief-driven opportunity, a legitimate legal document, isolation from anyone who might question it, and money that converts into an asset rather than simply disappearing.
The land purchase
Most of the stolen money in this case was spent directly, but roughly $137,000 of it bought two parcels of land — titled not to Bitting personally, but to a trust in her name. Converting cash into real estate through an entity is a recognised laundering technique in its own right, not just a spending choice: it puts a layer of paperwork between the stolen money and the person who took it.
Isolation as the mechanism
The case shows the isolation stage of this scheme in unusually explicit form: restricted family contact, controlled home access, and a direct threat to have the victim declared legally incompetent if she resisted. The victim’s eventual response — physically leaving the state to live with a relative — is also documented in several other cases on this page as one of the few ways these arrangements end without law enforcement intervention first.
The caveat
Bitting was convicted on all counts by a jury in August 2026; this is a proven legal outcome, not an allegation. Sentencing had not yet occurred when this page was last reviewed, so the eventual prison term, restitution order and outcome for co-defendant Ashton Silvis — who entered an open plea rather than going to trial — are not yet part of the public record.
Sources
- Leesburg woman convicted after exploiting elderly widow for around $350K, AG says. ClickOrlando (WKMG-TV), reporting the Florida Attorney General's office. Accessed 2026-09-12. Supports: The full factual summary above, including the power of attorney, the timeline, the land purchases, the isolation of the victim, the conviction, and the Uthmeier quote.