A 50-year-old Port Washington man who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of the Village of Manorhaven three times was arrested Wednesday for stealing an elderly man’s identity to obtain credit cards in his name, Nassau police said.
Earl Grenfell Jr. used the personal identification of an 86-year-old Massapequa man to open credit card accounts for his personal use in October, according to Crimes Against Property Squad detectives.
The victim’s caregiver noticed irregularities in the victim’s credit reports. The victim, who lives in Massapequa, is reportedly Grenfell’s father who is suffering from dementia.
Grenfell, a former Manorhaven village code enforcement officer, ran for mayor in 2004, 2006 and 2008 against then-incumbant Nicholas Capozzi, who lost to Michael Meehan last year. Grenfell, a vocal critic of Capozzi, lost in 2004, 2006 and was kicked off of the ballot last year after a judge ruled that he did not live within village limits.
Grenfell was charged with three counts of identity theft. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 5.