Florida taxpayers lose $1.4 million in public funds in impersonation scam, report says
Manatee County officials and law enforcement are investigating an alleged scam that involved an impersonation of a contractor to steal about $1.4 million from the county, according to a report.
Florida Politics reported scammers pretended to be contractor Neal Land and Neighborhoods asking to be paid for work on an extension to Fort Hamer Road in Parrish.
“This is a fraud perpetrated on Manatee County,” John Neal, president of Neal Land & Neighborhoods, told the Bradenton Herald.
Neal Land has never sent a wire demanding payment on a loan, Neal said.
“This is the world that we live in; I don’t understand the nature of it,” Neal said of the scam.
Florida Politics reported the county wired $1.4 million in public money to a New York bank account.
To curb issues, the policy is “the county pays contractors through checks, which can easily (be) traced and, if necessary, stopped,” the outlet reported.
Neal had asked the county when they should receive payment, and the county told Neal they already wired the funds, which is when red flags were raised and an investigation began with county officials, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, Florida Politics reported.
“Late last week, we learned our county was the victim of a highly sophisticated fraud,” Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonesso said in a statement.
“It involved multiple entities at various stages of the payment process. As Comptroller, funds were delivered based on fraudulent information and documents for an authorized invoice. We are working with law enforcement, the county, and my cybersecurity consultant.”
Colonesso said it’s an active criminal investigation and more details cannot be provided at this time.
In all, Neal Lands has provided $12 million in interest-free loans to Manatee County for public-private infrastructure partnerships, Neal said.
