Despite repeated claims that she is “homeless” and “penniless”, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki signed a lease in March 2016 to live at a waterfront estate community in Clearwater, Florida, according to the owner of the condominium where she has been living.
Staff at the office which manages of the waterfront estate community also confirmed yesterday that Grazzini-Rucki was living in a condominium on the property and was seen by staff within the last month.
Missing in Minnesota published information in January based on public records which showed that a person named “Jaclyn Auld” with the same birthday as Grazzini-Rucki was residing with John “Jack” Auld in Clearwater, Florida.
After a warrant was issued for her arrest on March 26, 2018, Grazzini-Rucki turned herself in at approximately 9:00 PM the following evening at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office which is located just seven miles away from her home in Clearwater, Florida.
According to public court documents and staff at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Grazzini-Rucki falsely claimed she was homeless when being booked into custody.
Over the last few days, Missing in Minnesota worked to provide additional evidence to refute claims made by Grazzini-Rucki and her attorneys and supporters that Grazzini-Rucki is homeless. Supporters of Grazzini-Rucki have gone so far as to claim that Grazzini-Rucki “relies on couch surfing” and eats “cold cans of Spaghetti-O’s in order to survive.”
In fact, yesterday morning while Missing in Minnesota was working to confirm additional details about Grazzini-Rucki’s lease for her condominium in Clearwater, Florida, a supporter of Grazzini-Rucki and self-described “investigative reporter” posted a blog story which falsely claimed she was “rendered homeless” and living “on the street” in Florida.
Michelle MacDonald claimed in an affidavit filed with the Minnesota Supreme Court last September that Grazzini-Rucki was “homeless.” MacDonald’s law license was suspended for 60 days in part for her misrepresenting facts while serving as Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney.
For nearly six years Grazzini-Rucki has falsely claimed she is homeless and destitute in an attempt to manipulate public opinion and the legal system.
In reality, Grazzini-Rucki had access to over $2 million from her family in the last eight years, and the total amount of her current net worth is unknown.
Grazzini-Rucki’s false claims of homelessness are part of a documented pattern of lies from Grazzini-Rucki, who admitted during her criminal trial that she had repeatedly been “dishonest” in previous court hearings.
But as Grazzini-Rucki sits in jail in Clearwater, Florida, awaiting transport back to Minnesota, further confirmation that she has not been “homeless” could have serious ramifications when Grazzini-Rucki eventually appears again in a courtroom in Dakota County.
Grazzini-Rucki signed a lease to live at waterfront property described as “resort style living”
Grazzini-Rucki signed a lease with John “Jack” Auld on March 1, 2016, according to Maria “Vicki” Lorente, who is the owner of the condominium at 51 Island Way, in Clearwater, Florida.
In an interview yesterday afternoon, Lorente said she was contacted by Auld about adding his “girlfriend” to the lease.
Lorente said Grazzini-Rucki passed a background check and was approved to live at the waterfront property, which has been described in real estate listings as “resort style living” with “spectacular, expansive water views.”
But Lorente said Grazzini-Rucki signed the lease as “Sandra Sue Grazzini” which is not her legal name. Staff at the office which manages 51 Island Way also confirmed Grazzini-Rucki passed a background check to live at the property.
Auld did not respond to a request for comment about lease he signed to live with Grazzini-Rucki at the condominium in Clearwater, Florida.
Grazzini-Rucki signed the lease months before she was convicted in July 2016, on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters. At the time of her background check, Grazzini-Rucki had no criminal record.
Lorente had never met Grazzini-Rucki, nor was she aware that Grazzini-Rucki was a convicted felon. Staff at 51 Island Way were also unaware that Grazzini-Rucki was a convicted felon, but they knew that she was in custody at the Pinellas County Jail.
Auld was with Grazzini-Rucki at the Star Island Resort and Club in Kissimmee, Florida on October 18, 2015, when she was located by the United States Marshals Service a month before Samantha and Gianna Rucki were found.
Auld had reportedly cooperated with law enforcement and helped lead them to Grazzini-Rucki, who has called his “best friend” and “soul mate.”
Grazzini-Rucki signed lease days after being released from jail
Grazzini-Rucki was released from jail on February 24, 2016, where she had been held as she awaited the start of her criminal trial.
Grazzini-Rucki was released because the start of the trial was delayed to allow additional time for the prosecution to review massive amount of evidence collected by law enforcement during their investigation into the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki.
Judge Karen Asphaug released Grazzini-Rucki on the condition that she would reside with Michael Rhedin at his apartment in Plymouth, Minnesota. Rhedin has been described in court documents as Grazzini-Rucki’s boyfriend.
Judge Asphaug also ordered Grazzini-Rucki not to leave Minnesota without the written authorization of the court, and she was required to keep the court and her criminal attorney, Stephen Grigsby, “informed of [her] current address.”
Grazzini-Rucki signed the lease to live at Lorente’s condominium in Clearwater, Florida, less than one week after being released from jail in Minnesota.
Grazzini-Rucki’s luxury Cadillac Escalade was also recently found in the parking lot of the waterfront estate community in Clearwater, Florida where she has been living.
Public records show the ownership of Grazzini-Rucki’s luxury Cadillac Escalade was transferred from Rhedin to Auld on March 31, 2016 – 30 days after Grazzini-Rucki and Auld signed the lease to live at Lorente’s condominium in Clearwater, Florida.
There is no record in the court file of Grazzini-Rucki requesting to leave Minnesota, nor did she ever inform the court that she had signed a leased to live at a condominium in Clearwater, Florida.
After Grazzini-Rucki left jail on February 24, 2016, she would next appear in court on June 20, 2016, for a Trial Management Conference involving her criminal trial.
Follow Missing in Minnesota on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on Grazzini-Rucki’s next court appearance in Minnesota.
Allison Mann contributed to this story.
