Three households burglarized by distraction thieves, police say

Two men targeted four Pompano Beach residents — ages 77 to 97 — by pretending to work for the Florida Power & Light Co. and entering homes to steal cash and jewelry worth $25,475, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

Kurt Kuhn, 37, of North Lauderdale, who is also known as James Lewis, was arrested Thursday, reports say.

He is accused of 15 charges that include abuse of the elderly, burglary, larceny, grand theft and fraud. The Broward Sheriff ’s Office said a Lighthouse Point man is a possible co-defendant in the three cases, but has not been arrested.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the men wore baseball caps with “FPL” printed on the front, Joy Oglesby, and while pretending to “check for leaks,” entered three apartment buildings in Pompano Beach that are east of the Intracoastal Waterway, arrest reports said.

Sept. 27: Two men entered a unit at 1201 S. Riverside Drive, where a 77-year-old woman lives. Jewelry worth more than $20,000 was taken, and she identified Kuhn from a photo lineup, an arrest report said.

Oct. 12: Video recorded two men following a 97-year-old World War II veteran and his wife, 93, into their building at 305 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. The couple allowed the men inside and jewelry worth $5,000 was taken. A witness identified Kuhn as a suspect, a report said.

Oct. 23: An 88-year-old man at 303 N. Riverside Drive let in two men and $475 was stolen. A building superintendent interrupted additional thefts, according to the victim.

Teams of burglars — called distraction thieves because one will divert a victim’s attention while the other steals from them — often target the elderly, police say.

In October, distraction thieves pretended to be “spraying iguanas” on behalf of the town of Lauderdaleby-the-Sea and entered the home of an 89-year-old woman, the sheriff’s office said.

“We can’t stress it enough that residents should verify who it is when a worker comes to their door,” said Joy Oglesby, spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office. “These crooks are very convincing.”

By asking a worker to wait outside and shutting their door, the resident has time to call their company to confirm it’s a legitimate service call, she said.

During Kuhn’s first appearance hearing Friday, Judge Daniel Kanner set a $99,500 bond. But Kuhn is being held in a Broward County jail for extradition to Miami-Dade County, where he will face charges including grand theft and credit card fraud, prosecutor Eric Linder said.

TAIMY ALVAREZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Crews work on the demolition of the Riverfront, along the New River, west of Andrews Avenue, in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The 19-year-old shopping and entertainment complex has been described as a flop just eight years after its opening. In its place...