Sarasota man pleads not guilty in fraud scheme, weapons case

A Sarasota man facing charges in connection with construction fraud and weapons offenses has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Seth Andrew Bloom, 33, entered his not guilty pleas and waived his arraignment, his attorney Sean Landers of The Baez Law Firm in Orlando says in the July 1 court filing.

Landers did not immediately respond to a request for comment by email and phone from the Business Observer.

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Sarasota police say Bloom was behind a multi-county construction fraud scheme that defrauded 13 victims of more than $3 million. In connection with his arrest, authorities report they found 64 firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition that belonged to him.

Bloom, described in the probable cause affidavit as the owner of Calderoni Trucking LLC doing business as CC Civil, took money from various companies in Florida, authorities allege, and then did not complete the work after getting contracted to do jobs like ground clearing and lot development for residential community projects. In addition, the affidavit alleges he did not pay for construction equipment, materials and subcontract work, and he failed to pay his employees for their labor. The crimes spanned Sarasota, Manatee, Pasco, Hillsborough and St. Lucie counties, according to the affidavit.

In that case, Bloom was charged with crimes including scheme to defraud to obtain property greater than $50,000; misapplication of construction funds totaling at least $100,000; grand theft of at least $100,000; wire fraud; and forgery.

On March 15, police also say Calderoni Trucking LLC was evicted from its office at One Sarasota Tower at 2 N. Tamiami Trail, Suite 314, for failing to pay more than $28,000 in rent owed for the first three months of the year. When executing a search warrant at the building on June 25, police say they saw "in plain view on the walls of the office over 40 assault style rifles, all with suppressors  … hanging on three walls."

Bloom, who was convicted of a felony in North Carolina in 2016, is prohibited from owning firearms as a result of the conviction, the affidavit says. He has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

Bloom is scheduled to be arraigned in both the fraud and weapons cases on July 25 in Sarasota County Circuit Court.