Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sarah Elizabeth Jacobs, 29, who has been in the Alachua County Jail since December 15, was charged yesterday with stealing over $13,000 from a disabled woman by using her debit card between July 2020 and May 2021.

The victim told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that her former live-in caretaker was arrested in July 2020, and the caretaker had the victim’s debit card at the time. The former caretaker reportedly released the card to Jacobs, who was supposed to return the card to the victim. The victim said Jacobs came to her home a short time later and delivered a small amount of groceries but refused to return the debit card. About two weeks after that, the victim said, Jacobs again brought a small amount of groceries but again refused to return the debit card.

The victim is a 63-year-old woman who has disabling medical conditions; she relies on a caretaker to deliver groceries and to transport her when medical transport services are not appropriate.

The victim said Jacobs never returned to her home, and she was unable to contact anyone because she doesn’t have a phone. Her utilities were reportedly cut off in September 2020 for non-payment because the victim didn’t have the debit card, and the victim was hospitalized in the same month for malnutrition. The victim’s home was eventually foreclosed on, and when she was released from the hospital, she said, she moved in with Jacobs because she had nowhere else to go. She said she tried to order a replacement debit card, but Jacobs intercepted the new card when it arrived in the mail.

The victim was hospitalized again in May 2021, and while she was there, she was able to contact a former caretaker who helped her regain control of her debit card and finances.

The victim’s bank statements reportedly show 139 transactions in the amount of $13,871.32 while Jacobs had the card, including multiple cash withdrawals on the same day, utilities paid to an account in Jacobs’ name, Amazon purchases, rideshare fares, Google Play purchases, and other miscellaneous transactions.

Jacobs was arrested on December 15, 2023, for violating drug offender probation in three previous cases. On January 3, her probation was revoked and she was sentenced to 150 days in jail with credit for 32 days served.

A deputy interviewed her in the jail, and post Miranda, Jacobs reportedly said she “helped” the victim but was not her caretaker; she said she had the victim’s permission to use the debit card. She reportedly said she withdrew cash for the victim to pay rent and groceries, but when the deputy pointed out the utility payments, Jacobs reportedly changed her story to say the victim paid rent and utilities. She reportedly said at first that the Amazon payments were the victim’s but later admitted that all the purchases were in her name. She reportedly admitted that her son “accidentally” purchased items on Google Play with the victim’s debit card. She reportedly said she paid the victim back for any personal purchases in cash.

Jacobs has been charged with exploitation of an elderly person over $10k, fraudulent use of another person’s identity over $5k, fraudulent activity to obtain property under $20k, and fraudulent use of a debit card belonging to another person. Jacobs has three felony convictions (none violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (none violent); she violated probation in two cases twice and violated probation three times in the third case before being sentenced to jail.

Judge Thomas Jaworksi set bail at $55,000 on the new charges, but Jacobs will be held without bail while she serves her jail sentence.

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.