No Arrests Made in Elderly Exploitation Case
Ashley Galen Powers, 51, has an elderly exploitation pending in the court records system but no arrests have been made.
Several months ago, Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Adult Protective Investigations reached “substantiated findings” of Powers and his girlfriend, Jennifer Lynne Siegel, 44, spending thousands of dollars that was not theirs to spend without good reason or permission. Prosecutors have not formally filed any charges and Siegel has also not been arrested. The primary victim was related to Siegel and Powers and reportedly had declining health to include "developing dementia."
This comes shortly after Powers sustained a number of domestic violence arrests. Some of the arrests occurred in the same timeframe Powers was allegedly exploiting the elderly victim.
In June 2025, Powers was arrested and charged with domestic battery.
Prosecutors dropped the case after the reported victim signed an affidavit recanting the allegations.
In August 2025, Powers was arrested on similar charges against his sibling.
In October 2025, GPD arrested Powers and charged him with false imprisonment and resisting an officer without violence but prosecutors later dropped the case.
In January 2026, Powers pleaded no-contest to battery in a plea deal for the case against his sibling. He was convicted and a judge imposed a 120-day jail sentence with 90 days of credit for time served, followed by one year of probation with conditions to refrain from possessing drugs, alcohol or firearms, in addition to participation in batterer’s intervention and a dual diagnostic evaluation.
In early March 2026, GPD charged Powers and Siegel with grand theft and elderly exploitation, meaning they stand accused of stealing over $20,000 from a person 65 years of age or older. Investigator Daisha Freeman issued the following report:
“On [August 28, 2025], I spoke to the Reporting Party (RP) in reference to a follow up investigation.
The RP stated that she is the power of attorney over her father, Victim 1 (VIC 1), and her brother Defendant (DEF) along with his girlfriend, Co-Defendant (CD) [(Siegel)], have been taking funds from VIC 1 without authorization to do so. The RP stated that [Powers] and [Siegel were living with VIC 1 and during that time, he was being exploited. The RP stated that the unauthorized charges began in December of 2024 and continued until August of 2025.
The RP stated that VIC 1 fell and had to be admitted into the hospital in June of 2025. The RP stated that VIC 1 has been suffering from a brain injury and is no longer able bodied. The RP also stated that VIC 1 is developing dementia and his health is declining. The RP stated that while VIC 1 was hospitalized, [Powers] got a permit on her father's property to have a concrete slab and shed built on the property to start up a business. The RP stated this wasn't authorized and VIC 1 informed her brother before his fall that he couldn't start the business on his property. The RP stated that when she came down to check on her father, she discovered that the concrete slab had been placed and she went and had the permit removed. At this time, she also discovered that checks had been written to complete the job. One of the checks that stood out was a check in the amount of $3,260 to Mud & Metals for the project.
I searched the business and was able to speak with the owner of the business, Victim 2 (VIC 2), on [September 15, 2025]. VIC 2 stated that [Powers] contacted him and wanted a concrete slab placed at his father's residence. VIC 2 stated that he placed the permit and concrete on the property; however, the check was returned that [Powers] wrote out to him. VIC 2 stated that the RP contacted him and advised it wasn't authorized and he needed to pull the permit. VIC 2 stated that he's at a loss of $3,260.00.
The RP stated while reviewing her father's finances, she discovered unauthorized checks made out to her brother's girlfriend, [Siegel], and a Zelle transaction in the amount of $4,500.00 on [August 7, 2025] that was unauthorized. This transaction shows as 'home management fees' on VIC 1's Bank of America statement. A total of $6,250.00 was totaled and accounted for as unauthorized transactions by [Siegel].
The RP stated all of the other transactions on the account were transactions made by [Powers]. While examining VIC 1's BOA statement, there were multiple transactions for Doordash, Amazon, ABC Wine & Spirits, along with Zelle transactions made to [Powers] for his project as well. The RP had placed a stop on the account and most of the transactions slowed up in August of 2025, with other pending transactions that had to in August clear the account after she made contact with the bank. The RP did report that a claim was placed with Nationwide Insurance for her father's r00f in the amount of $15, 000.00 but the roof was never repaired and the funds were spent by [Powers]. Nationwide Insurance did send documents that showed a check was sent out and deposited into VIC 1’s account. The RP also stated that [Powers] took funds from a FICU account without authorization. VIC 1 BOA account from November of 2024 to August of 2025 went from $69,544.66 to $4,877.09. In August of 2025 when the RP discovered the transactions, the account was at $17,452.79 and ended with $4,877.09. This shows that the account was significantly drained.
I spoke with [Powers], via telephone, and informed him who I was. [Powers] stated that he had permission to use his father's funds. [Powers] stated that his father agreed that if he came to stay with him, he would take care of him and his girlfriend, [Siegel]. [Powers] stated that he also was given permission to build a shed so he could keep his equipment and dads car in the shed. When I asked him about his father being in the hospital and funds still being used, he advised that he still had permission to do so.
It should also be noted that DCF, Adult Protective Investigations, also did an investigation and the investigation stated that the case was closed with substantiated findings that were clear that [Powers] or [Siegel] had not spent VIC 1’s funds in his best interest and they didn't receive permission to do so. It should be noted that VIC 1 is deceased at this time and over $64, 000.00 was drained from him while living.”
Financial Crimes Detective Cpl. Justin Torres provided a statement when questioned about GPD not arresting Powers on probable cause. Torres previously investigated the case involving current jail inmate Florzelle Fields, who stands accused of scamming a number of elderly victims in addition to the City of Gainesville government. Torres told GnvInfo:
“I looked into this case and the findings from Inv. Freeman. Inv. Freeman filed charges on Powers through the State Attorney’s Office (SAO). These charges were filed as a sworn complaint. It is a probable cause Affidavit by law enforcement. Unlike an on-view arrest, these charges are sent to the SAO for further processing and progress further in the court system. Because most of our fraud cases are complex and require additional review by a prosecutor, it can take time for formal charges to be filed by the SAO. The case most certainly can be prosecuted with the initial victim being deceased, because assets would normally be passed to living kin. So the kin would become the victims in the end because they were deprived of the inheritance. The case is closed for GPD’s involvement since charges were filed on our end.
[The Florzelle] Fields’ investigation was very unique compared to most fraud cases. Because of the extent and complexity of his activity, I worked parallel with a prosecutor at the SAO. Most fraud cases are worked individually by the investigator and are sent to the SAO as sworn complaints before they decide to issue warrants out for people.”
Powers didn’t respond to an email asking if he thinks the case will get dropped. Due to the victim’s age and the amount Powers reportedly stole, if found guilty, he could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
