According to the Florida Department of Financial Services, chief financial officer, Alex Sink recently announced that 10 individuals are facing felony charges for submitting suspected fraudulent hurricane claims of nearly $300,000 on their homeowners' insurance.
Victor Hernandez, Catherine Abrignani, Martin H. Katz, Brian Friedman, Ridel Valido, Judith Davis, Tim Adams, and Scott Olsen have been arrested so far in the investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud. The division has charged 57 people in connection with insurance fraud related crimes from the 2004-05 hurricane seasons.
Sentences can range from five to 30 years per count, and the statute of limitations for insurance fraud and most related charges is five years. Sink said in a release more tips are anticipated and encouraged, and noted that referrals are being shared with FEMA's Office of Inspector General for possible further investigation.
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