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SALT LAKE CITY — A 51-year-old convicted murderer accused of taking nearly $300,000 from an elderly Utah woman in a case of “romance fraud” faces a new charge for sending her a love letter from prison that authorities say amounts to witness tampering.
Frank Gene Powell was released on parole in 2017 after spending 29 years in the Utah State Prison for the murder of a man in Utah County in 1987 that began as a fight over whose truck was faster. He was arrested last month in California for allegedly violating parole and returned to prison in Utah.
Investigators believe Powell orchestrated a scheme with others earlier this year to exploit an 80-year-old woman with a diminished mental capacity who lives in the southern Utah town of Washington.
In addition to financial fraud, investigators say Powell engaged in “romance fraud” by telling the woman he planned to marry her, despite his longtime romantic relationship with another woman. The woman, Faye Ann Renteria, of St. George, also faces criminal charges in the case.
Investigators say the elderly woman, identified in court documents as L.N., received a two-page, handwritten letter from Powell on Nov. 14 with smiley faces and the words “sealed with a lot of care” on the envelope.
“Hey today I was told I took $250,000.00 from you and that you are mad and hate me. I pray that is not true and when you get this all worked out we are still getting married and you love me. Don’t give up on us we belong together in this world. Please tell me you are still with me. I don’t know if my heart will make it without you,” the letter read, according to court documents.
Authorities says Powell tried to get L.N. to help him avoid prosecution and withhold information from law enforcement.
Another excerpt of the letter read: “Don’t tell (the parole officer) I wrote. I will get in trouble. I think I am not sure but be careful. He don’t like me or my family.”
The woman met Powell in March after police say he knocked on her door and told her he believed her home needed repairs and he was willing to do it for a fee. Jobs included painting the exterior of the house, resurfacing the driveway and doing yard work. Most of the work wasn’t completed and was extremely poor quality when it was done, according to documents.
Powell and his associates convinced the woman to pay up front by cashing personal checks and giving them the money as well as writing checks directly to them, amounting to at least $296,000, authorities say. Powell also convinced her to deed over her Kolob area cabin.
Powell and Renteria went on extravagant shopping trips and jointly bought an $82,000 2019 GMC Sierra, a 2018 Chevy Camaro and a Polaris Razor, according to court documents.
Investigators say Powell called Renteria from prison on Nov. 5 and asked her to go to L.N.’s house and take three vehicles and sell them. In a call two days later, she told him she wasn’t able to get the vehicles. Powell also told Renteria in the call that he sent her a letter for L.N. and told her deliver it to the woman’s house.
In the letter, Powell asks L.N. to write him lots of letters and send photos of herself “to help me not be depressed or sad lonely and heartbroken.” He wrote that he will be “the best husband you ever had.”
“Make them stop telling lies and try to hurt me for loving you and being with you. Please please please help me make them understand we are together and I never took nothing from you, okay. Help me. I will pray for us and that God help us show them we are telling the truth!” Powell wrote, according to court documents.
Federal prosecutors charged Powell and Renteria with witness tampering.
Related Story
Suspected ringleader in Utah elderly exploitation case arrested in California
The alleged ringleader of a group accused of exploiting an elderly woman out more than $264,000 — a man recently paroled from prison after serving nearly 30 years for murder — has been arrested.Renteria was previously charged in state court with 10 counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, nine second-degree felonies and one third-degree felony. Terrence Quincey Powell, 23, also of St. George, was charged with seven counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, one second-degree felony and six third-degree felonies.
Also, Martell “Taz” Powell, 25, of Cedar City, and Rocky James Mott, 40, of Hurricane, Washington County, have each been charged in 5th District Court with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony.
Powell has not been charged in the fraud case.
