The former owner of a Lake Sammamish restaurant will spend 30 months in prison for defrauding an elderly customer that he befriended, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
62-year-old Richard Dale Radcliffe admitted to stealing $515,000 from the woman’s accounts.
He was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court.
“(The victim) trusted and believed that you would use her money for her care… You used your access and control over accounts to enrich yourself…. You exploited her for your gain to the tune of half a million dollars,” U.S. District Judge Lauren King said at his sentencing.
According to documents filed in the case, Radcliffe started a friendship with a widow who lived near his restaurant after he learned about her significant wealth and that she had cognitive decline.
Within a few months, court documents state that Radcliffe arranged for a friend of his to serve as the power of attorney for the victim, giving him access and control over her bank accounts. Radcliffe became the beneficiary of her will shortly thereafter.
The woman had no surviving family members, according to the documents, and trusted Radcliffe to assist her with her finances and take care of her bills.
The documents state he used her money for his own real estate purchases, gambling, travel, and restaurant operation expenses.
He convinced his friend, as power of attorney, to liquidate over $800,000 from the woman’s retirement account to fund the purchase of a home for himself in North Carolina, according to the documents.
The woman ultimately moved into an assisted living facility and passed away in November 2020. The facility noted that Radcliffe resisted paying for extra services and supplies she needed, claiming she did not have the money to pay for them. Instead, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says that Radcliffe moved into her $2 million waterfront home.
Following her death, documents state that Radcliffe tried to claim a life insurance benefit by posing as her dead spouse. The life insurance company reported the fraud attempt to the FBI, kicking off the federal investigation.
However, numerous local investigations were already underway because several individuals reported their concerns to Washington State Adult Protective Services and the King County Sheriff’s Office about Radcliffe’s exploitative
“This defendant ingratiated himself into the life of an elderly widow, encouraging her to make him and his family beneficiaries in her will,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “But he did not wait for her death to start taking her money – he raided her accounts to pay for his own luxuries. His callous conduct is deserving of this prison sentence.”
According to documents filed in the case, Radcliffe cultivated a friendship with a widow who lived near his restaurant after he learned about her significant wealth. The widow was elderly and suffering cognitive decline. Within a few months of their friendship beginning, Radcliffe arranged for a friend of his to serve as the power of attorney for the victim, with Radcliffe still having access and control over the victim’s bank accounts. Radcliffe became the beneficiary of her will shortly thereafter. The victim had no surviving family members, and trusted Radcliffe to assist her with her finances and take care of her bills. Radcliffe abused his access to her accounts and used her money for his own real estate purchases, gambling, travel, and restaurant operation expenses. He convinced his friend, as power of attorney, to liquidate over $800,000 from the victim’s retirement account to fund the purchase of a home for himself in North Carolina by falsely claiming that he was entitled that amount as reimbursement for money that he spent on the victim’s care and for remodeling her home.
“While Mr. Radcliffe’s victim is, unfortunately, no longer with us, we’re glad the public knows her story,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We hope this ruling gives pause to fraudsters who think they can escape accountability by targeting the vulnerable.”
Radcliffe will be on supervised release for three years following prison and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine in addition to the forfeiture of $515,000 and $124,000 restitution to the IRS.