News

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the state agency, university and individual winners of the 2011 Loss Prevention Awards.  The awards were presented at a ceremony held today in Tallahassee for excellence in loss prevention on behalf of the Interagency Advisory Council (IAC) on Loss Prevention, made up of 48 state agencies and universities, and the Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) Division of Risk Management.

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).

Twenty people are under arrest, accused of setting rental homes on fire then filing more than a million dollars of false insurance claims. Those arrested in “Operation Candlelight” include the ringleaders and fake renters, also known as “Straw Renters.”

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.