A 28-year-old Sebastian man is a suspect concerning fraudulent credit card use allegations. Detectives say he is responsible for draining over $2,500, plus causing bank overdraft fees, from his parent’s financial accounts.
Matthew E. Branderhorst was apprehended in Cocoa on Monday following a warrant for his arrest.
After noticing numerous unauthorized charges and overdrafts on their bank accounts and credit cards, Branderhorst’s parents contacted law enforcement, suspecting their son’s involvement in the theft of their financial information.
Detectives revealed that Branderhorst was living with his parents for a short while in Barefoot Bay, during which they suspect he copied their credit and debit card details to make unauthorized transactions.
The illicit purchases encompassed services such as Lyft, Uber, Google Pay, CashApp, pawnshop transactions, and recurring payments to Tracfone for mobile phone services. These unauthorized transactions resulted in bank overdraft fees surpassing $900.
Further investigation by the detectives led them to a house in Osceola County, indicated by the IP addresses used for most transactions, where Branderhorst was residing.
The arrest warrant confirmed that the drop-off points for Lyft and Uber corresponded with his travel patterns.
Branderhorst is being held at the Brevard County Jail with a bond set at $21,000.
