BRADENTON, FL (LOOTPRESS) – A Florida man is facing grand theft charges after allegedly impersonating tech billionaire Elon Musk online to defraud a 74-year-old woman out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan Jr., 56, expressed confusion when Bradenton police arrested him on November 19, captured on bodycam questioning officers, “Grand theft of what?”
Authorities allege Moynihan created an elaborate scheme to pose as the Tesla CEO, befriending the woman on Facebook and persuading her to wire substantial sums of money. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the suspect promised the woman a $55 million return on her “investment.”
The scheme was discovered when police subpoenaed Google for account information linked to Moynihan. Investigators found email addresses associated with Musk, as well as singer Lionel Richie and actor Johnny Depp, suggesting the suspect used multiple celebrity personas.
The victim’s husband, interviewed by authorities, expressed concern that his wife might have dementia, noting she still believed she had been communicating with the real Elon Musk.
In reality, the funds were allegedly funneled to Moynihan’s business, Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing, LLC. “The victim was told by ‘Elon Musk’ to wire her money to his money manager, ‘Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing, LLC,’ at Truist Bank on Cortez Road in Bradenton,” the affidavit states.
Authorities say financial records indicate the woman transferred $250,000 directly to Moynihan’s accounts, though her husband estimates the total sum she gave to “Musk” was closer to $600,000.
Moynihan has been charged with grand theft, and investigators continue to review the full scope of the alleged fraud.
