- February 10, 2025
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One month after Florida State Attorney Andrew Bain cleared former District 45 Florida state Rep. Carolina Amesty of felony forgery charges, the Windermere politician is battling new allegations.
U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg on Friday, Jan. 17, announced he has filed a criminal complaint charging Amesty with two counts of theft of government property related to COVID relief fraud.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless — and until — proven guilty, Handberg said.
The complaint, filed Thursday, Jan. 16, alleges Amesty and a relative in 2020 filed 15 applications for various organizations through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
The complaint states Amesty misrepresented information on two applications — for the Carolina Amesty Foundation Inc. and Dinocar Auto Sales LLC. The complaint accuses Amesty of stealing $84,500 through foundation and $37,500 through Dinocar — a total of $122,000.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration — Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States attorneys Megan Testerman and Diane Hu.
In May 2021, the attorney general established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates.