Woman accused of defrauding disabled Miami-Dade man, stealing his home

A woman is facing criminal charges after authorities said she defrauded a disabled Miami-Dade man, took ownership of his Southwest Miami-Dade home and abandoned him miles away in Gainesville.

Longtime neighbors describe 59-year-old Stephen Simeister as a beloved member of the community.

After losing his parents and brother, they felt a responsibility to look out for him. But that changed, they said, when he met Madeline Lostal-Furst.

“This lady showed up and basically took advantage of him. And we tried to warn him,” said Terry Craig, a neighbor who lived across the street.

Lostal-Furst, 56, moved into Simeister’s home in 2019, posing as his girlfriend while assuming control of his life, according to an arrest warrant.

Craig recalled moments when Simeister was locked out of his own house.

“He would say, ‘I’m locked out of my house.’ I’d ask, ‘Don’t you have a key to your own house?’ And he told me no. He said she had all the keys,” Craig said.

Concerned, Simeister’s sister, who lives out of state, filed a report with the Department of Children and Families.

Home stolen, victim abandoned

According to court records, Lostal-Furst obtained power of attorney and used a quitclaim deed to transfer Simeister’s home into her name in 2020.

She then took out a $75,000 mortgage on the property, defaulted on it and allowed it to be sold at auction.

As his health declined, neighbors said emergency crews were called to his home nearly every night.

According to the arrest warrant, Lostal-Furst abandoned Simeister in Gainesville. 

He was later found by emergency responders wandering the streets, unaware of his surroundings. He was hospitalized and placed under the Baker Act.

Meanwhile, Lostal-Furst moved to Colorado, where she remained for five years until her recent arrest. She was extradited to Miami-Dade and faces three criminal charges. A judge set her bond at $45,000.

Neighbors, including Craig, are relieved justice may finally be served.

“I’m just glad they finally caught up to her,” he said.

Simeister is now living in an assisted living facility in DeLand, Florida.