May 2, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- An Athens man who was ordered to stay away from his 81-year-old grandmother after stealing her identity to pay for a sex-change operation is back in jail, accused of exploiting her to pay for a car and sex-chat phone calls.

Detective Beverly Russell said Maurice Jordan Jarrells was in the Clarke County Jail Thursday in lieu of $40,000 bond after being charged with exploitation of an elderly or disabled person and financial identification fraud.

Jarrells, 22, pleaded guilty to elderly exploitation and fraud charges in November after running up $100,000 in debt in his grandmother's name. A judge sentenced him to 10 years' probation, provided he live away from his grandmother and get mental health treatment.

Russell said Jarrells had treatments preparing for the sex-change but not the actual surgery.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.