A man was taken into custody nearly two years after allegedly tricking an elderly woman at an Ocala Walmart into handing him her debit card and PIN, resulting in the theft of more than $3,000.
On June 14, 2024, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies met an elderly female victim about a grand theft occurrence. According to the arrest report, the victim went to Walmart at 9570 SW Highway 200 in Ocala the day before to ask for help mending her smartphone.
While waiting in the store’s electronics section, the victim was allegedly approached by a man later identified as William Francis Burch III, who volunteered to help her.
During the interaction, Burch allegedly demanded the victim’s debit card and PIN, claiming that the information was required to credit her phone account. According to the investigation, the victim, who demonstrated cognitive impairment due to her elderly age, cooperated with Burch’s request.
After nearly two hours with the victim, Burch allegedly persuaded her to follow him to the store’s front ATM. Surveillance footage apparently saw Burch conducting numerous transactions using the victim’s card before rapidly walking away with the card in his possession.
Burch allegedly fled the scene in an orange Hyundai SUV.
Over the next hour, Burch allegedly used the stolen card at three different businesses, resulting in a total loss of nearly $3,060.
Burch was allegedly recorded on camera security footage withdrawing $1,000 from a Wells Fargo ATM. Images from the bank showed the suspect wearing a medical face mask and a distinctive “NY” logo tattoo on his left calf.
According to the complaint, Burch then spent about $1,550 at Lowe’s, followed by over $510 at Circle K for petrol, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.
Investigators recognized Burch by comparing his physical attributes and the calf tattoo to recent booking images from an arrest in Citrus County, where he was also discovered driving the identical orange Hyundai SUV. A warrant for Burch’s arrest was issued in July 2024.
Burch was arrested nearly two years later, on Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Marion County.
Burch was booked into Marion County Jail and is still in arrest. He is charged with one count of grand theft (more than $750 but less than $5,000) and three charges of fraudulent use of personal identification without the agreement of a victim aged 60 or over.
As of Tuesday, Burch’s booking photo was not yet available.
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