Authorities in Florida say a man has admitted to stealing the identity of an elderly dementia patient to make two big purchases.

According to WFTV, 52-year-old Timothy Powell is accused of buying a new set of dental implants valued at about $40,000 and a French bulldog puppy costing nearly $10,000.

He reportedly told investigators that criminal cohorts encouraged him to use the 80-year-old victim’s credit to purchase the new set of teeth so he could more easily participate in future scams.

Powell allegedly gained access to the DeBary resident’s identifying information via a purchase on the dark web. The elderly man’s family reportedly found out about the fraudulent charges when they received a pair of bills from a dental clinic in the state.

Detectives believe the suspect visited a number of Regions Bank branches across Volusia County to make cash withdrawals from his victim’s account. Institutions behind the fraudulent loans approved in the scheme are reportedly targeting Powell for repayment.

According to the man’s brother, Jake Brenner, relatives learned of the incident about a week ago.

He told reporters that he had “never heard about anything like that,” describing the crime as “kind of different.”

Brenner expressed appreciation for the investigative work that led to the suspect’s arrest.

“I don’t know how they go about catching people like that, but I’m glad they did,” he said.

Investigators pointed to fingerprints on documents from the dental clinic as evidence that led them in Powell’s direction. As of the latest updates available, they were looking for a possible second subject involved in the crime.

[Featured image: Volusia County Sheriff’s Office]