CFO Jimmy Patronis Announces Arrest of Broward County Insurance Adjuster
www.myflorida.com, August 16, 2024
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez, owner of Maximum Claims Recovery, Inc., on two counts of felony charges of Unlicensed Public Adjusting. Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez allegedly secured public insurance adjuster contracts for adjusting, and appraisal services, without being licensed in the state of Florida, and then unlawfully withheld money belonging to two policyholders. Gonzalez defrauded the two policyholders out of $34,424.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, "When unlicensed public adjusters take advantage of the system, every policyholder in the state loses. Insurance fraud drives up rates and devalues the professionalism of honest public adjusters and insurance agents. As Florida’s insurance market begins to improve little-by-little, we will continue to assure companies and policyholders that fraud will not be tolerated in our state. Kudos to my Criminal Investigations Division fraud detectives for doing the hard work to bring this fraudster to justice. Also, thanks to the Broward State Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and protecting the rights of Florida consumers."
General counsel to the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), Brian Goodman, said, “NAPIA believes in the ethical practice of public insurance adjusting and applauds all efforts of the Florida DFS to assure that only licensed public adjusters are allowed to assist consumers who have sustained first party property loss.”
In September 2023 and December 2023, the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), Criminal Investigations Division (CID) received complaints from policyholders based on concerns that Maximum Claims Recovery Inc, operated by Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez, may have secured a public insurance adjuster contract, for adjusting and appraisal services, without being licensed in the state of Florida and for unlawfully withholding monies belonging to the two policyholders. According to supporting documents that were provided by the policyholders, Gonzalez represented himself as a licensed public adjuster to assist the policyholders with insurance claims related to home damage in 2022, in return for a 20% adjusting fee of the insurance settlements. The contract agreements from Maximum Claims Recovery, Inc. were executed and memorialized in writing by Gonzalez and the policyholders. As such, Evolution Risk Advisors issued a settlement check in the amount of $18,000 on behalf of Universal and Property Insurance that was payable to Maximum Claim Recovery. Catastrophe and National Claims (CNC) issued two settlement checks on behalf of State National Insurance Company, Inc. that were payable to Maximum Claim Recovery that totaled $26,903. In both instances, the checks totaling $44,903 were signed and deposited in a Chase bank account Maximum belonging to Claims Recovery, Inc.
CID investigators gathered evidence to show the settlement checks totaling $44,903 were deposited into the Chase account. Although, Gonzalez received the settlement checks in a timely manner, he failed to remit the funds due to one of the policyholders from the Evolution Risk Advisors claim which totaled $18,000. He also provided a business check in the amount of $16,424 to the other insured on behalf of CNC which was deposited by the policyholder and was returned for non-sufficient funds. As a result of fraudulent, unethical, and dishonest acts within the insurance industry, Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez received a total of $44,903 while acting as an unlicensed public adjuster and failed to remit to the policyholders approximately $34,424 of insurance claim money.
CID Investigators reviewed records from the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), Division of Agent & Agency Services (A&A) which showed Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez licensed as an All Lines Public Adjuster suspended by the Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida on April 25, 2013, for failing to maintain a surety bond. Furthermore, Gonzalez was also arrested on June 19, 2023, by CID detectives in Miami-Dade County for a similar act. In that case, Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez was charged with one count of acting as a public adjuster and one count of grand theft.
On Monday, August 13, 2024, Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez was arrested at the Broward County Main Jail without incident by CID detectives. The Broward State Attorney's Office, who partnered in this investigation will handle prosecution. If convicted, Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez could face up to 30 years in prison.