Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 9-12-17

Fraud Cases State
Tampa Woman Arrested On Tax Fraud Charges
Last Thursday, a Tampa woman was arrested on charges of tax fraud. She was charged with five counts of theft of government prop- erty.
According to the indict- ment, between October 2012 and August 2013, Ms. Ash- ley Stanback, 30, is al- leged to have taken more than $1,000 in government funds in connection with fraudulent federal tax re- turns. The government al-
ASHLEY STANBACK (2014 HCSO Booking Photo)
leges that the refunds were issued in the names of other individuals.
In addition to the charges, the U. S. govern- ment is also seeking forfei- ture of the proceeds from the fraudulent tax refunds, which is in excess of $38,000.
If convicted of all the charges, Ms. Stanback is facing a maximum of 10 years in federal prison on each count.
Attorney General Discusses Price Gouging
Last week, Pam Bondi, Attorney General for the State of Florida, warned residents to be aware of price gouging as Hurricane Irma approached. She opened a hotline for any citizens to use to report price gouging.
Attorney Bondi said, “Floridians should not be in- hibited by unlawful price in- creases on supplies necessary to brace for a major hurricane strike—that is why I’ve acti- vated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline and encourage anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to my office by calling (866)-9-NO-SCAM. By report- ing suspected price gouging you can protect yourself and your fellow Floridians.”
Violators of the price goug- ing statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per viola- tion and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple viola- tions committed in a single 24-hour period, in addition to
PAM BONDI Florida Attorney General
other civil penalties that may apply.
State law also criminalizes the sale of goods and services to the public without posses- sion of an occupational li- cense. Violators of the law can be charged with a second-de- gree misdemeanor.
Prior to the storm, Gover- nor Rick Scott declared a State of Emergency for the en- tire state.
Pawnshop Owner Sentenced In Stolen ID Refund Case
A 57-year-old Clearwater pawnshop owner was sen- tenced for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud scam. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered him to pay $166,745.61 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
U. S. District Judge Mary Scriven sentenced Craig Reckley to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison. He pleaded guilty on May 4, 2017.
According to court docu-
CRAIG RECKLEY
ments, Reckley obtained and deposited 37 U. S. Treasury checks into his business’s bank account. The checks represented refunds from fil- ing false federal income tax returns. The claims were filed in the names of other individ- uals.
Officials said that during his involvement in the scheme, he was the owner and proprietor of Quick Cash Pawn, of Pinellas. His busi- ness was located in Clearwa- ter.
Local Investors Step In To Save The Tampa Bay Times
More than 2 months ago, The Tampa Bay Times newspa- per was placed in the hands of new investors. A group known as FNB (Florida’s Best Newspa- per) Partners stepped in to help the newspaper refinance a $12 million loan to keep the newspa- per from joining a chain of newspapers.
Businessmen and philan- thropist have taken up the man- tel to keep the paper in the community. Those who have been identified as local investors are: Paul Tash, Chairman and CEO of the newspaper, and his wife, Karyn; Frank and Carol Morsani, Ted Couch, Robert Rothman, Jeff Vinik and Kiran Patel.
The announcement ap- peared in a Saturday morning newspaper in early July, around the 4-day holiday, reportedly in a bottom right corner on the front page. In the online version that appeared on June 30, 2017, the article carried Tash’s by- line.
Tips On Staying Safe After The Storm
Just because the storm has passed your area does not mean precautions should not be taken. Here are a list of concerns for after the storm.
Stay put – Avoid driving in heavy storms, and stay in a safe place after the storm. Be pre- pared to remain where you are for an extended period of time. Often, injuries and deaths occur in the aftermath of storms. Sight- seers impeding roadways cause obstacles for emergency person- nel responding to those in need.
Slow down –. The roads re- main slick after the storm so if you have to drive, decrease your speed to avoid hydroplaning.
Buckle up – When it is finally safe to venture out, take the extra time to buckle your seatbelt. It is the law in Florida, and statistics continue to show that seatbelts save lives. Four of the reported deaths related to Tropical Storm Fay involved motorists who were not wearing their seatbelts.
Be cautious of high winds – Windy conditions adversely af- fect all vehicles, particularly high profile vehicles, such as buses and trucks, as well as motorcy- cles. Gusty wind makes driving difficult, especially when it is rapidly changing speed and di- rection.
Turn around; don’t drown – Prepare for standing water. Never drive through flooded areas, even if you are familiar with the roads. The area of road- way you cannot see beneath the
water may be washed out or the water may conceal debris, tree branches or even power lines.
Pay attention – You may come up on an intersection that is no longer controlled by a traf- fic control device. If a police offi- cer is directing traffic, follow their directions. Otherwise, treat the intersection as you would treat an intersection governed by a four-way Stop sign.
Flooding safety – Never drive into moving water. If you cannot see the roadway beneath the water, do not drive through it! The water may be deeper than it appears, and the road may be washed away.
Check for damage to your home. Use caution. More people die after a hurricane than during one.
Be aware of downed power lines.
If the power is out, use food in the refrigerator first before it spoils. Throw away any food that may have come in contact with flood waters.
Don’t allow children to play in standing water. It could con- tain harmful bacteria.
Avoid smoking when walking in damaged areas, there could be gas lines leaking.
Wear thick-soled shoes or boots. There could be broken glass in the area.
Report any sparking or downed electric wires.
Stay away from any trees that are touching power lines.
FYI
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017