Two Florida residents have been charged with 47 felonies between them. A white collar crime scheme is said to have been discovered and halted before any money was lost. The state’s CFO praised the efforts of the Office of Fiscal Integrity for uncovering the alleged plot before any serious damage was done.
The accused individuals are from Palm Beach. They are said to have falsely reinstated several corporations by submitting fraudulent documents with the Department of State. It is claimed that the pair intended to collect funds for unclaimed assets belonging to the companies. Officials conducted a verification investigation and decided not to issue the funds.
Apparently, the two paid money for public records related to the corporations that they were attempting to reinstate. Reports indicate that email addresses were listed in order to make the corporations appear active. The individuals a man and a woman, also allegedly opened mailbox accounts through UPS for the same purpose.
In the aftermath of the recent incident, the two Florida residents must now answer multiple criminal charges. Grand theft, filing invalid unclaimed property claims and fraudulent use of personal identity information were among the charges filed against the suspected co-conspirators. As is the case in all states in America, persons accused of white collar crime or other criminal activities are presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in court. Therefore, it is usually prudent to seek the guidance and advice of a legal professional who has experience in criminal law when preparing to defend oneself in court.
Source: protectingyourpocket.blog.palmbeachpost.com, “Two West Palm residents charged in alleged unclaimed property scam”, Susan Salisbury, June 24, 2015
