Press Releases

11/06/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced the arrests of Leandro Obenauer and Myriam Torres on charges of engaging in organized fraud, a first degree felony. The arrests follow a warrant issued in 2016 in Orange County based on findings of an OFR investigation. Obenauer and Torres remained fugitives until their arrest on October 1, 2020. From October 2012 through February 2014, Obenauer and Torres...

11/06/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced the Oct. 20 arrest of Lucille Poag, 83, of North Miami. Poag voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement in Miami-Dade County after being charged with felony grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and violations of Florida’s loan broker laws. The charges stem from Poag’s alleged involvement in an elaborate advance fee for loan scheme, which resulted in victim losses of approximately...

10/15/2020

Attorney General Ashley Moody is securing more than $11 million in relief for Floridians harmed as a result of Ocwen’s alleged improper mortgage servicing practices. The proposed final consent judgment, pending adoption by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, resolves the lawsuit brought by the state of Florida through the Attorney General’s Office and the Office of Financial Regulation against Ocwen Financial Corporation, Ocwen Mortgage Servicing, Inc., Ocwen Loan...

09/29/2020

Attorney General Ashley Moody today announced Operation Corrupt Collector, a federal-state law enforcement sweep against phantom and abusive debt collection. In a joint effort with the Federal Trade Commission, and more than 50 federal and state law enforcement partners, the initiative involves enforcement actions brought by the FTC, three federal partners and 16 different state agencies against debt collectors engaged in these illegal practices. The sweep includes five cases filed by the FTC, two cases...

09/28/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Howard Markowitz was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in an investment scam. He was also ordered to pay $1,784,000 in restitution. Markowitz is the last of five defendants to be sentenced, following his guilty plea earlier this year. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “As Florida’s CFO, I am committed to ensuring all...

09/25/2020

Attorney General Ashley Moody today announced a consolidated nationwide enforcement action alongside the Florida Office of Financial Regulation to disrupt a fraudulent precious metals scheme that has scammed seniors and vulnerable investors nationwide out of more than $180 million. Attorney General Moody, OFR, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and 28 other states announced that a complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging that Metals.com...

09/14/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Anthony Robert Greene was arrested and charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud for his alleged role in a cryptocurrency investment scam. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Every day, scam artists are coming up with new and creative ways to defraud consumers out of their hard-earned money. This alleged cryptocurrency scheme is no different and we must work together to inform and educate Floridians on the latest scam...

07/13/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Walter Ozell Weatherington was arrested and charged with grand theft and organized fraud for his alleged role in orchestrating an advance fee for loan scam. The case is being prosecuted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution. Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “My Statewide Prosecutors work diligently to fight fraud and stop scams...

07/02/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Richard Vincent Leli was arrested and extradited from New York to face charges of securities fraud and communications fraud. At the time of the arrest and extradition, Leli was serving a sentence in a New York prison for grand larceny. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Today, scam artists are using new and creative ways to steal your hard-earned money. Floridians must stay...

06/15/2020

Today, OFR Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III, offered the following statement regarding World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. “On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and every day, I encourage Floridians and financial professionals to remain vigilant and know the red flags of elder financial scams and exploitation. With the social isolation that the current public health crisis can cause, our elderly may be more vulnerable to being targeted by a scammer. Help protect your elderly loved ones from...

06/03/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Konstantinos Konstantinou voluntarily surrendered to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on an arrest warrant for his role in an investment fraud scheme. He is charged with securities fraud, acting as an unregistered securities dealer and organized fraud. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “One of my top priorities as your CFO is to protect the citizens of Florida against fraud and...

05/12/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) announced that James Harold Hosner was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a promissory note scheme targeting an elderly victim. In February, Hosner was found guilty of securities fraud, selling unregistered securities, selling securities as an unregistered person, and communications fraud (scheme to defraud) by a Pinellas County jury. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Orchestrating a fraud scheme to take advantage of...

03/31/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – Following a recent call with the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis released the following statement to encourage financial institutions and mortgage lenders to continue to provide relief for Florida homeowners and businesses dealing with financial impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our state’s economy and left Florida families looking for answers.

03/27/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) is hearing from banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, and other financial professionals across Florida about the ways they are helping Floridians through financial difficulties in this unprecedented time. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “While this public health emergency impacts communities across our state, we’re working to ensure Florida's financial institutions and service providers are...

03/16/2020

In response to our public health emergency and to help contain the spread of COVID-19, OFR is closing its physical office locations to the public beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, until further notice. Our offices are not closed for purposes of continuing state business, but the public will not be permitted to visit OFR offices until further notice. We are still here to serve you! Visit us online at www.flofr.gov or call us at 850-487-9687.

03/12/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - This week, Florida House Bill 813 passed unanimously on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Since day one, it has been my top priority to protect Florida consumers, and especially our seniors, from fraud, waste and abuse. I applaud the Florida Legislature today for standing up for Florida’s most vulnerable consumers and passing needed protections to stop financial exploitation of our seniors....

03/10/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. – This week, Florida House Bill 1391 passed unanimously on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. OFR Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III, said, “Promoting innovation in the area of financial technology is one of many exciting initiatives taking place at OFR. I thank Governor Ron DeSantis and CFO Jimmy Patronis for supporting FinTech innovators, embracing new ideas, and ensuring Florida will remain a top destination for companies...

03/03/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - This week, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation is recognizing National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2020, a movement intended to help people understand their consumer rights and make well-informed decisions about money. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “At the Department of Financial Services we’re laser focused on protecting consumers, and that’s why this legislative session has been fully focused on fighting for consumers. After Hurricane Michael devastated.

02/24/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation is celebrating America Saves Week 2020, recognized February 24-29. OFR is spreading the message of saving successfully and urging Floridians to make savings automatic. OFR Chief of Staff Abigail L. Vail said, “America Saves Week is a wonderful opportunity for you and your loved ones to set a goal, make a plan, and save automatically. Look out for helpful savings tips and information that we will share this...

02/10/2020

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Office of Financial Regulation today announced that a jury in Pinellas County has found James Harold Hosner guilty of securities fraud, selling unregistered securities, selling securities as an unregistered person, and communications fraud (scheme to defraud) for his role in a promissory note scheme targeting an elderly victim. OFR Acting Chief of Financial Investigations Alex Toledo said, “Fighting financial fraud is our top...