Florida News Straight From the Source
CFO Jimmy Patronis today was joined by members of the fire service and law enforcement communities from across Miami-Dade County at the Firefighters Memorial Building to highlight the signing of Senate Bill 376, expanding mental health benefits for first responders. Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill last week in Tampa surrounded by hundreds of first responders from across the state. SB 376 was sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Matt Willhite.
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami, arrested Thomas Edward Hernandez, 53, of 27421 SW 154 Avenue, Homestead, for six counts of possession of child pornography. Additional charges are pending.
FDLE’s investigation determined that Hernandez was advertising/sharing 45 files of child pornography images through the use of the internet. The images included the sexual exploitation of children under 10 years old.
Hernandez was arrested yesterday and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit.
The Florida Lottery announces that Maria Larin, 65, of Miami, claimed a $1 million prize in the $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $748,000.00.
Larin purchased her winning ticket from Winn-Dixie, located at 6770 Southwest 40th Street in Miami. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $25 game, $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH, features more than $549 million in total cash prizes, including two top prizes of $10 million and 46 prizes of $1 million! Overall odds of winning are one-in-2.89.
Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.
MIAMI, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Miami area added 24,900 new private-sector jobs in the last year, the third-highest number of jobs among all Florida metro areas. The unemployment rate in Miami remained at 4.6 percent in November, down 0.4 percentage point from a year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 13,900 new jobs in November and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, the lowest rate in more than a decade. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,465,800 new private-sector jobs.
Governor Scott said, “Miami added nearly 25,000 new jobs over the year, further proof that our economy is continuing to thrive across the state. During the upcoming legislative session, we will keep working to cut taxes and create an environment where the private sector can grow.”
The industries with the highest growth over the year in Miami were trade, transportation and utilities with 10,900 new jobs and education and health services with 4,000 new jobs. The area continued to rank third among the state’s metro areas with 29,951 openings, and once again offered the third-highest number of high-skill, high-wage STEM jobs with 7,016 openings.
In the last year, 199,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.0 percent. This rate is nearly three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent. In November, 16,990 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource South Florida and the state’s other 23 local workforce boards.
To view the November 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis today announced that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) will host a community insurance forum in Miami on Saturday, November 4 in partnership with Representative Kionne L. McGhee. DFS insurance specialists will join teams from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to assist Miami area residents with insurance concerns and complaints.
At the event, consumers can speak one-on-one with insurance specialists to gain assistance with the filing of Hurricane Irma insurance claims, help with pending claims, or general insurance advise. Consumers can also file a complaint regarding an existing claim and report suspected insurance fraud.
WHAT: Community Insurance Forum
WHERE: The Bethel Church – Richmond Heights
14440 Lincoln Boulevard
Miami, Fla. 33176
WHEN: Saturday, November 4
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST
All area residents are welcome to attend this free event. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of their insurance policies.
Floridians can gain year-round insurance assistance by calling Florida’s free Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO. Information is also available online at www.myfloridacfo.com.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis today announced the arrest of Jose Manuel Caballero-Morlesin (Caballero), an insurance agent and owner of Axis Underwriters, Inc., a Miami-based insurance agency. An extensive investigation led by the Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud unraveled a complex scam in which Caballero enlisted a finance company to pay annual premiums tied to fake insurance applications. In total, Caballero submitted 38 fake applications and stole $276,000 in premium payments. Caballero confessed to investigators and now faces up to 157 years in prison, if convicted.
Many residential and commercial insurance policyholders are required to pay annual premiums up front. Insurance agencies partner with finance companies to front the cost of the annual premium, allowing the policyholders to make monthly installments to the finance company if they cannot afford to pay the full premium amount at one time.
During a six-month timeframe in mid-2016, Caballero submitted 38 applications for financing using made up consumer information. The unsuspecting finance company approved the applications and issued annual premium payments to Caballero’s insurance agency, Axis Underwriters, Inc. In time, the finance company grew suspicious when no policyholders came forward to pay their monthly installments.
The finance company reported their suspicions to the Department’s Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services, which referred the case to fraud investigators as a suspected scam. The Department plans to seek the immediate suspension of Caballero’s insurance license once formal charges are filed.
Caballero turned himself in to authorities October 9, 2017, and has been charged with one count of organized scheme to defraud and 38 counts of forgery, uttering forged instruments, grand theft and the misappropriation of insurance funds.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office of Katherine Fernandez Rundle of the Miami State Attorney’s Office.
CFO Jimmy Patronis today joined state, local and industry leaders at the Latin America Summit hosted in Miami by Governor Rick Scott. The summit called together leaders from a wide array of professions, including international trade, human rights and economic development, to increase communication, collaboration and growth opportunities between Florida and Latin American countries.
For a full list of speakers and participants, click here.
“Gov. Scott to Host Latin American Summit in Miami”
WTVJ-MIA (NBC) – Miami, FL
July 24, 2017
To view the clip, click HERE.
Governor Rick Scott today highlighted pay raises in the Fighting for Florida’s Future budget for Florida’s sworn state law enforcement officers, correctional officers and state employees.
Governor Scott said, “Florida’s state law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the families who call this state home. I’m incredibly proud that this year’s Fighting for Florida’s Future budget provides a five percent pay raise for these hard working men and women. On behalf of all Floridians, I thank them for their service.”
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today arrested Ignacio Calvo, 89, of 2451 Brickell Ave., Miami for computer pornography and transmitting child pornography.
FDLE special agents, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Calvo’s home and seized a laptop belonging to him. Preliminary forensic examinations recovered at least 10 images of suspected child pornography, some involving children as young as 2 to 3 years old.
Calvo was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit.
Click here to visit the Secure Florida website to review tips for keeping your children safe online.
