OC Man Faces Felony Theft Charges

OCEAN CITY -- An Ocean City man was arrested last week on felony theft and other charges after allegedly bilking an elderly relative out of over $110,000 over the course of several years.

Last week, New Castle County, Del. police, with the assistance of members of the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, located and arrested Rick Foster, 49, of Ocean City while the suspect slept in a vehicle in a parking lot in New Castle. Foster was wanted by Delaware and federal officials after an investigation revealed he had been involved in a theft scheme amounting to over $110,000 from his 82-year-old relative over a period of around nine years.

Upon a referral from the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, New Castle County police responded to Foster’s elderly relative’s residence in the Eastburn Heights community on Nov. 17 to investigate a reported theft. The investigation revealed Foster had been deceiving his elderly relative for a period of nine years or more during which he allegedly cleared out the victim’s savings and retirement accounts to the tune of over $110,000.

According to reports, there were times when Foster asked the elderly relative for money, and at other times, he was persistent in his demands. Foster was warned by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office not to have any more contact with his elderly relative after the initial phase of the investigation.

However, Foster continued to contact the victim by phone and demand more money even after a stern warning not to do so by investigators. Finally, after the theft scheme continued, New Castle Police and the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force located Foster last week sleeping in a vehicle in a commercial business parking lot.

Foster has been charged with felony theft over $100,000, crimes against a vulnerable adult and harassment. He is being held in a Delaware correctional facility after failing to post a $24,500 secured bond.