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Crime

  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • December 17, 2023
Former state prosecutor arrested in $100K fraud case with 85-year-old victim

Sherry Lee Ellis, 65, is charged with stealing nearly $113,000 from her Alzheimer's patient boyfriend.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • November 6, 2023
Bradenton woman heads to prison for nine years for $9.75M scam

Lori Ann Nademus used ill-gotten gains on luxury residences, high-end clothes, jewelry and more, FBI officials alleged.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • October 24, 2023
Fort Myers resident sentenced to two years in prison for COVID relief fraud

Denis Casseus was also ordered to forfeit nearly $300,000.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • July 17, 2023
Tampa school's former business manager sentenced in $1.1M tuition scam

The Largo man was charged by federal prosecutors for scheming to move tuition payments into personal accounts and giving false information to get more than $1 million in mortgages.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • July 10, 2023
Sarasota restaurant owner admits to IRS scheme, faces prison time

The co-owners of Boatyard Waterfront Bar and Grill in Sarasota hid $725,000 in sales from the IRS, according to court records.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • June 16, 2023
Fort Myers couple arrested for $2 million COVID fraud

The couple faces more than 20 years in prison for allegedly falsifying 11 relief applications and using the proceeds for, among other things, a pickup truck and three pontoon boats for themselves.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • May 1, 2023
Polk County university official behind payments scam sent to prison

The executive vice president at Southeastern University created a false company to take payments for work another company did for much less money.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • April 26, 2023
Construction firm owner heads to prison for multimillion-dollar IRS, insurance fraud

The Polk County woman pleaded guilty last year to a scheme that included underpaying undocumented workers and misleading insurers.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • April 4, 2023
Former St. Pete Salvation Army employee charged in embezzlement-related scheme

Prosecutors say the payroll employee doctored records in order to collect paychecks for people no longer working in the organization.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • March 27, 2023
Real estate exec headed to federal prison for money laundering

A Pasco County owner of a real estate company was sentenced for using bank accounts to launder money from international boiler room scam.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • February 25, 2023
Naples man sentenced to federal prison for $2.6M COVID fraud, weapons violation

A business owner lied and provided false documentation to secure loans for five businesses.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • February 16, 2023
Tampa businessman charged in conspiracy to kill Haitian president

Feds allege that the 64-year-old man worked to provide vests and lodging for a military group that carried out the assassination on Jovenel Moïse.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • February 14, 2023
St. Pete man faces decades in prison for stripping liens from 100 vehicles

The 44-year-old man was convicted by a federal jury in Tampa and could get more than 60 years when sentenced in May.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • February 8, 2023
Tax preparer arrested in Belize last year sentenced in nearly $2M scheme

The owner of the Hillsborough County tax preparation business created falsified tax returns that led to overinflated refunds for clients.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • December 15, 2022
Pharmaceutical rep gets 4 years in prison for bribery scheme

A federal judge sentenced the 52-year-old, 10 days after his co-conspirator was sentenced, for paying a doctor “speaking fees” in exchange for prescribing drug containing fentanyl.

  • News
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