The Lee County Sheriff’s Office seized a Lehigh Acres house and cash in an investigation into a scheme netting $1.2 million, the office announced this week, after arresting three men on fraud and money laundering charges.
According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, in February, the Economic Fraud Unit began an investigation after it received information a man supplied another company with supplies without documenting the sales. Reports say there were 106 instances of fraudulently supplying the company.
According to the sheriff’s Facebook page, Miguel Recarey-Quintana, 37, of Fort Myers supplied materials from Ajax Paving Industries of Florida without documenting the sales for the business, while working with Robernys Llumbet, 32, of Lehigh Acres, to load and deliver the materials, collect the money and not give it to the business.
Detectives discovered all of the trucks involved belonged to C&M Asphalt Paving, owned by Jose Romero, 66, of Naples.
Recarey-Quintana was employed as plant operator with Ajax for 17 years, the arrest report indicates. Llumbet, also a plant operator, worked for Ajax for six years and is related to Romero.
The detectives then determined multiple checks were issued to companies not affiliated with legitimate business in transactions worth approximately $1.2 million from beginning in 2023. Records show the checks were signed by Romero.
The sheriff’s office served multiple search warrants and subpoenas to determine that the trio defrauded the victim’s business of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they used the funds to fund a lavish lifestyle and build a Lehigh Acres residence.
The Sheriff’s Offfice seized $400,000 in cash and the home.
The reports claim Romero, Llumbet, and Recarney Quintana knowingly and illegally defrauded businesses. They were arrested and charged with grand theft of more than $100,000, scheme to defraud and money laundering more than $100,000.
Romero, arrested Aug. 5, bonded out of Lee County Jail on a $150,000 bond on Aug. 6, jail records indicate.
Recarey-Quintana, arrested June 27, left Lee County Jail on a $150,000 bond on July 9, jail records indicate.
Llumbett, arrested June 27, left Lee County Jail on a $150,000 bond on July 9.
They are all in court Sept. 17 for a case management conference.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Trio arrested in $1.2M scheme; Lee sheriff seizes Lehigh Acres home
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