UPDATE 10/22/2019 5:15 p.m.: On Tuesday Matthew Steven Gardner was arraigned in court. Gardner was charged with fraud, burglary, grand theft and theft from elder after defrauding two elderly victims by illegally investing their money. His bail was set at $1 million dollars and he is scheduled to be back in court on October 31, 2019.
PREVIOUS STORY 10/15/2019 10:17 a.m.: Bakersfield Police have arrested a man who they say took advantage and defrauded an elderly person.
According to officials, 43-year-old Matthew Steven Gardner was employed at a local tax company and "used his position to gain the trust of an elderly client who he later defrauded."
On Monday, police arrested Gardner for fraud, burglary, grand theft and elder abuse in Miami, Florida when he was returning to the county. He will be extradited back to Kern County and booked for his felony arrest warrant.
