Florida Man Arrested in Alleged Hurricane-Related Construction Fraud Targeting Elderly
A Florida man has been arrested on 13 felony counts after allegedly collecting payments for repairs he never completed for elderly hurricane victims.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Authorities say the defendant, identified only by initials B.M., operated under the name RedFin Construction and solicited large upfront deposits from residents of Seabreeze Mobile Home Park following Hurricane Milton. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office opened a probe in July 2025 after receiving multiple complaints from homeowners. Detective Michael Carpenter identified 14 alleged victims, aged between 62 and 95, who collectively paid about $222,000 in advance for aluminum repair work that was never finished.
Court filings state that B.M. routinely pressured displaced homeowners for significant deposits while they were living without full services or still coping with storm damage. Investigators found no evidence that the promised projects were completed; though some construction materials were purchased, the purchases did not correspond to work on the victims’ homes. Bank records, contracts and canceled checks presented to investigators reportedly show the suspect used forged or borrowed credentials from another contractor to secure business despite not being a licensed Florida contractor.
Prosecutors have charged B.M. with defrauding more than $50,000, misappropriation of construction funds exceeding $100,000, and aggravated white-collar crimes involving elderly victims – first-degree felonies under Florida law. Police say a substantial portion of the money moved through personal and business accounts before being spent on living expenses and gambling activity at casinos.
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Gambling-Related Harm and Industry Response
Investigators allege approximately $53,000 was gambled away in casinos, a detail prosecutors say underscores a pattern of misuse of client funds. That allegation places this case among several recent instances in the United States where gambling addiction has been linked to financial crime. In a separate high-profile case in Virginia, a former police officer admitted to defrauding acquaintances of more than $800,000 to cover a gambling habit, prompting renewed scrutiny of how compulsive gambling can drive criminal behavior.
Lisa M. Reynolds, a senior analyst at the non-profit Center for Elder Justice, said: "Predatory schemes that follow natural disasters are particularly pernicious because they target people at their most vulnerable – displaced, stressed and often isolated. When fraud is compounded by a perpetrator's gambling losses, victims not only lose money but face additional delays in essential repairs that affect their safety and health."
Dr. Laura Bennett, a researcher at the University of Maryland Center for Gambling Studies, commented on the wider trend: "The expansion of legal betting markets and easy access to casinos have coincided with a measurable rise in gambling-related harms. We are seeing more cases in which individuals channel diverted funds into gambling, creating secondary victims out of people who entrusted them to carry out repairs or manage money."
Local authorities say the arrest follows a focused effort to identify patterns of victimization among mobile-home residents and to trace financial flows. Detective Carpenter noted the challenges investigators face when victims are older and have limited resources: "Many of these homeowners trusted what they thought was a legitimate contractor because they needed help quickly. By the time red flags appeared, their savings were gone, and the work remained undone."
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone with information about similar scams to contact local law enforcement. State licensing authorities also periodically remind consumers to verify contractor licenses and seek multiple estimates before paying large deposits, particularly after storms or emergencies.
Legal proceedings in the case are pending. Prosecutors said they will seek restitution for the victims and are examining whether additional charges are warranted as the financial investigation continues.
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