WINK Investigates is following the trail of your taxpayer dollars and pandemic relief funds that were allegedly misused by local harvesting business owners, according to federal court records.
WINK Investigates is following the trail of your taxpayer dollars and pandemic relief funds that were allegedly misused by local harvesting business owners, according to federal court records.
On Friday, WINK Investigates first told you about former vice president of Oakes Farms, Steven Veneziano, who .
Specifically, Veneziano is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
His guilty plea comes , the founder of Oakes Farms.
Oakes and his companies have not been charged.
Court records allege at least six individuals — including the former vice president and several other local farm owners and managers — are accused of crimes relating to fraudulent applications submitted to the Department of Agriculture and receiving over $7.4 million in federal funds.
Federal programs funded by taxpayer dollars
Court records allege most of the misused funds cited in recent plea agreements were awarded through the after local business owners and managers submitted, or helped others submit, fraudulent applications to the Department of Agriculture.
The COVID Food Assistance Program was largely funded by federal taxpayer dollars and was put in place to help agricultural producers who suffered losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That program is no longer active.
WINK Investigates obtained COVID Food Assistance Program payout records from 2020, which span more than 1,000 pages.
Among the listed recipients are at least five businesses whose owners or employees are accused of falsifying applications to receive those funds.
Federal court records also cite payouts through “crop-insurance indemnities,” and the .
When summed together, the number of federal dollars fraudulently awarded to those who signed plea agreements totals $7,499,194.66, according to financial figures cited in court documents.
Local business owners and managers agree to pay what they falsely received
Those who have signed plea agreements are required to pay the money they falsely received before being sentenced later this year, according to court documents.
Marcelino DeLeon, owner of LD Harvesting, allegedly received $1,051,710.11 in COVID relief funds “as a result of the fraudulent misrepresentations” he submitted to the COVID Food Assistance Program, according to court records..
Court records claim he used $12,000 of that money to buy a car.
He has since paid the money back, court records state.
Jacinto Luna, owner of South Flo Harvesting, is accused of misusing $994,216.96 after he was awarded funds “as a result of the fraudulent misrepresentations” contained in his applications to the COVID Food Assistance Program, according to court records.
Court documents claim some of those funds were used to purchase a car for $45,000.
He, too, has repaid that money to the government.
Both Deleon and Lee’s sentencing hearings are scheduled for Sept. 2.
Court records claim Felipe Munoz, owner of Hurricane Harvesting of SWF, allegedly received $412,993.49.
He used part of it to purchase a car, court documents state.
Court records allege he has repaid more than $33,000 and agreed to forfeit the vehicle.
Munoz’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 29.
Court documents do not indicate Christopher Manazares, a former manager at Oakes Farms, is required to repay funds to the government at this time.
Court records allege he used his company name to obtain funds but another business and its owner benefitted from them.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Christopher Lee, who owned Alva-based company C Lee Farms and is a local farm manager for an undisclosed “farm organization,” has agreed to pay $1,150,747.54 for allegedly “engaging in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), Emergency Relief Program (ERP), and/or crop-insurance fraud,” according to his plea agreement.
At this time, court records don’t show whether he’s paid that money to the government.
Lee is scheduled to appear in court for an initial appearance and plea hearing on August 26.
Court records show Steven Veneziano, former vice president of Oakes Farms, has agreed to pay $1,157,412.18.
He obtained $1 million directly from the COVID relief program and over $55,000 was given to him as payment for assisting others with fraudulent applications, court records claim.
As part of his plea agreement, Veneziano has agreed to forfeit a home in Naples and sell gold and silver bars valued at roughly $300,000.
Veneziano’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17., though a joint motion was entered to delay his sentencing.
A judge has yet to approve the request for a delayed sentenced hearing.
Federal investigation ongoing
While some funds have been recovered, court records state a portion of the money was transferred to third parties and is now untraceable.
All of the individuals who have taken guilty plea deals could still face additional criminal fines.
What is clear at this time is some money intended to support agricultural producers during a national crisis, were instead used to buy luxury items for local business owners and managers.
WINK News is committed to following this story and will update you on-air and online as we learn more.
Credit: WINK News
