Realtors Arrested In Scheme To Defraud Ormond Beach Couple

Date Added: December 06, 2024 3:45 pm

An area Realtor has been arrested for defrauding an Ormond Beach couple who hired him to sell their properties but were exploited instead.

Below is a description of the case from Sheriff Mike Chitwood:

We have a new Scumbag of the holiday season!

Jason Valiant is a local Realtor who not only exploited a sick Ormond Beach couple and took control of their assets…. He signed a Do Not Resuscitate order for one of his victims, who was taken off life support the next day.

Thanks to our Volusia Sheriff's Office fraud unit, Valiant is now in custody for his elaborate scam on this couple who originally hired him to sell their property.

Unfortunately, they chose a wolf in sheep’s clothing who saw an opportunity to make himself rich.

When both victims got sick and became hospitalized with deteriorating health, their Scumbag Realtor created fraudulent documents making himself their Health Care Surrogate and Power of Attorney.

He proceeded to drain money from their bank accounts, willed their home and 2 other properties to himself, and even took their Dodge Ram pickup for his own use across Central Florida.

In addition to the thousands he stole via checks, Valiant used his victim’s credit card for things like attorney’s fees, a teeth whitening procedure, auto detailing, dinner and drinks, and gas.

The 3 properties Valiant acquired after the victim’s death totaled $1.6 million, according to property appraiser valuations. Two of the properties were oceanfront Flagler Beach parcels that Valiant and another Realtor, Constance Kellner, spoke of developing into a large condo complex or hotel.

Instead of working to sell the properties, it appears Valiant provided his victims fake lowball offers – including one from his own company.

Kellner, also known as ‘Coastal’ Connie Kellner, is charged with 2 counts of being an accessory after the fact. The investigation showed that she had full knowledge of Valiant’s scheme and helped him with the fraudulent Power of Attorney and Life Estate Deed documents.

Valiant is charged with organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, grand theft over $100,000, grand theft of a vehicle, criminal use of personal ID information, and illegal use of credit cards. He was picked up by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office last night - thank you FCSO!

His bond is $375,000 and my hope is he spends the holidays in a cell for what he did to two people at their most vulnerable.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood