BROWARD RESIDENT CHARGED WITH HURRICANE WILMA FRAUD
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Aaron Collins, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, announced that Ronald Jansson, 59, of Miramar, was charged in an Information filed in federal court today with making false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) in order to obtain a disaster loan for real estate repair and replacement based on alleged disaster damage from Hurricane Wilma. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial appearance next week.
Hurricane Wilma made landfall in the South Florida area on or about October 24, 2005. According to court documents, Jansson sought a loan for $143,700 for his property in Miramar, Florida, to include a major overhaul of his home based on Hurricane Wilma disaster related damages. Investigation revealed that Jansson’s home was already in considerable disrepair before Hurricane Wilma struck South Florida and that the condition of his home was not a result of the hurricane. Jansson subsequently fabricated and altered expense invoices/receipts, work estimates, proposals and contracts to falsely substantiate his expenditure of disaster funds to the SBA.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the SBA, Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy D. Katz.
Information is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
