SUMMARY: Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the arrest of 26-year-old Keith Merard for orchestrating a fraud scheme involving stolen Starlink satellites. Surveillance footage captured Merard loading stolen equipment into a SUV in South Florida over nearly a year. He created fake email accounts impersonating county officials to fraudulently obtain equipment from local vendors with open credit lines, resulting in $55,000 in purchases. His capture occurred after he activated a stolen Starlink, leading authorities to him. Merard faces charges of organized fraud and identity theft. In response, Volusia County improved cybersecurity and alerted vendors to scam attempts.

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The post Scam artist impersonates Florida county employees and steals thousands appeared first on www.abcactionnews.com

SUMMARY: The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) is close to selecting George Guy, current head of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority, as its new CEO after a tumultuous year of leadership changes. The JHA board praised Guy’s extensive experience, including managing over 800 housing units and serving as president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. This decision follows the resignation of former CEO Dwayne Alexander amid a scandal over mismanagement of nearly $2 million in utility reimbursement funds. The JHA plays a crucial role in managing housing for low to moderate-income families and overseeing housing voucher programs.

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The post Contract negotiations underway for Jacksonville Housing Authority CEO pick appeared first on www.news4jax.com

SUMMARY: A Florida Legislature report reveals that an affordable housing grant program assisted over 9,000 families from 2018 to 2020, spending $37.5 million and supporting 4,487 rental units. The program aims to enhance housing stability for low and moderate-income families and recommends targeted assistance for groups like teachers and the homeless. Local governments have utilized $250.3 million in state funds for various strategies, including down payment assistance and disaster relief. The report also highlighted 11 incentive strategies employed by 82 program participants, such as expedited permits and fee waivers, to encourage affordable housing development.

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