News

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today the arrest of former insurance agent Neal Seth Smalbach, 49, of Palm Harbor, for grand theft in misrepresenting details of financial products to multiple senior clients who allegedly suffered losses of more than $2 million in unsuitable financial investments. 

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced the arrest today of a Miami boat captain on a first-degree grand theft charge for allegedly sinking a $1.86 million yacht in 2009 off the Bahamas. Robert Figueredo, 49, was arrested by detectives from the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF).

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today released the following statement regarding Governor Rick Scott’s signing of HB7111. The bills close a public records loophole that allowed certain groups to obtain social security information from CFO Atwater’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property. 

State fire officials are investigating Fire Chief Ben Greenslait amid allegations that he is not properly certified. Deborah Cox, a spokeswoman for the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed Tuesday that Greenslait’s “certification is currently under review.”

This year the Legislature took on the challenge of reforming Florida's broken personal injury protection auto-insurance system, which has been infiltrated by crooks and enterprising industries. It was driving up costs for all Floridians.

A licensed massage therapist, a physician's assistant and 14 patients at a massage clinic in Miami have been arrested in an undercover insurance fraud investigation.