Ex-wife found guilty of stealing Florida man’s retirement money

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An Inverness woman was found guilty of stealing over $100,000 of retirement money for their ex, the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida announced Monday.

On June 20, 58-year-old Robin Joanna Bell was found guilty of grand theft of over $100,000, two counts of Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification Information, witness tampering, and forgery of a public record.

“Theft, particularly when it’s from someone who was once close to you, can be devastating.  Let this serve as a reminder that cheating, stealing and deceiving victims, for your benefit, will not go unchecked in Citrus County,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “Protecting our most vulnerable population is a top priority for this office.”

Initial Retirement Agreement

In July 2021, the victim told the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) that their ex-wife, Bell, had filed forged documents to obtain retirement benefits against court orders, the State Attorney’s Office said.

The victim reportedly told investigators that while finalizing their divorce, Bell asked for half of the victim’s retirement. The victim agreed on the condition that when Bell retired, the victim would get half of Bell’s retirement.

The judge finalized the terms of the agreement, which gave both parties equal rights to half the retirement of the other party, the State Attorney’s Office said.

The Investigation

Then, in December 2020, the victim was notified that Bell had retired. The victim then contacted the Florida Retirement System (FRS) to receive half of her retirement, which is when they learned the FRS received a document with their signature signing over all rights to the retirement to Bell.

That is when the victim contacted law enforcement authorities.

During the investigation, it was determined that the documents were forged, with the notary saying they never notarized the document for Bell.

Detectives made numerous attempts to contact Bell and her attorney but turned to the FDLE when attempts were unsuccessful. Eventually, the FDLE contacted the supposed witness of the signing of the document, who said they had never seen nor signed any document provided to the FRS by Bell.

Bell was arrested on Jan. 1, 2023. While out on bond, Bell contacted the victim in an attempt to get the charges dropped, leading to the tampering charge.

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