Carlito Cortez was once empowered with enforcing the law. On Friday, he saw it from a different perspective after he was sentenced by a Bucks County Court of Common Pleas judge.
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The 60-year-old Northampton Township man was ordered by Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Charissa Liller to serve 90 days of home confinement and seven years of restricted probation.
As part of his sentence, Cortez is required to undergo a mental health evaluation, complete a decision-making class, and submit a formal letter of apology to the victim. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim, a Langhorne Borough woman, according to authorities.
The sentence comes after a 2025 grand jury recommendation that led to charges against the former part-time officer for Langhorne Borough and Yardley Borough.
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Cortez pleaded no contest in December to several charges, including attempted theft by deception, perjury, official oppression, and securing execution of documents by deception.
Authorities said the scheme began in 2020 while Cortez was working as a part-time officer for Langhorne Borough.
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After responding to the victim’s call about stolen heirloom jewelry, Cortez allegedly exploited his position of authority to build trust with the woman, the grand jury found.
Deputy District Attorney A.J. Garabedian told the court that Cortez identified the victim’s vulnerabilities and wealth. He eventually manipulated her into signing a last will and testament.
Authorities said Cortez falsely presented the paperwork as a power of attorney document in an attempt to seize control of her estate, which is valued at more than $500,000.
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Prosecutors said what happened was a mix of contractor fraud, a romance scam, and theft by deception.
In a victim impact statement read by Garabedian, the woman, now 77, described the emotional toll of the betrayal she faced.
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The woman said she now lives in constant fear, keeps her home perpetually locked, and struggles to trust anyone offering help.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
“The reason I am coming forward with this now is to protect other women in the future from being influenced by promises of affection, scare tactics, or emotional abuse,” the woman wrote.
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The woman added that the trauma has left her unable to address necessary home repairs because she is struggling to learn how to trust again.
“This case serves as a firm reminder of our commitment to protecting our seniors from those who seek to exploit them,” District Attorney Joe Khan said in a statement. “Protecting our elders from this kind of abuse is a top priority, and we will continue to hold those in positions of power accountable when they violate the public’s trust.”
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Cortez served as a part-time officer in Yardley Borough from 2013 to 2023 and worked for the Langhorne Borough Police Department for eight years. He resigned from his police job in fall 2024 as the investigation neared its conclusion.
Cortez also worked as a general contractor and maintenance worker for a housing cooperative in Warminster Township.
