Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – John Paul McCullen, 54, was arrested on Friday and charged with grand theft and exploitation of an elderly adult; he was also charged with accepting a contract for plumbing work that his business, Renovations by McCullen, was not licensed to perform.

McCullen was previously investigated for taking over $10,000 from his aunt’s bank account without authorization in May and June of 2023; he reportedly said at the time that he didn’t realize how much he had spent on construction supplies for his business and promised to pay it back, but according to the arrest report, that never happened. His grandmother later told the investigator that he is her only family and the only person who talks to her, and she didn’t want him to go to jail, so the charges were dropped.

In November 2023, McCullen allegedly showed up at his grandmother’s apartment at 3 a.m. and woke her up, asking for her debit card so he could buy groceries for her. The victim said he was agitated and loud, and she was frightened. Over the next week, McCullen allegedly failed to make any purchases for the victim and withdrew over $1,000 from her bank account, leaving the victim on the verge of being evicted from her apartment because she is on a fixed income. The victim told the responding Gainesville Police Department officer that she wants McCullen prosecuted this time because if this keeps happening, she will not be able to pay her bills or rent.

The Department of Children and Families helped the victim get a new debit card and printed out her bank statements, which reportedly showed 12 transactions at various locations around Gainesville in November 2023 on her debit card, totaling over $1,075. The report states that the victim is 90 years old and both deaf and blind and could not have traveled to the various locations or operated an ATM.

The second charge alleges that McCullen’s business, Renovations by McCullen, was referred to a customer in December 2022 for a kitchen renovation. The quote was for $7,060, and the customer paid McCullen a check for $6,560, but the “job was abandoned and [the] kitchen was left damaged.” The charge from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation states that the job included plumbing and electrical work, but McCullen was not licensed to provide plumbing contractor services.

Judge Sean Brewer set bail at $85,000 on the charge of exploitation of an elderly person and $10,000 for the licensing violation.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.