Half a dozen state employees busted in fraud scheme

Six state employees have been arrested on charges of defrauding Florida taxpayers.

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced that the workers were part of a scheme to file bogus property damage claims through Florida’s Division of Risk Management. The fraudulent claims amounted to about $1.7 million.

“As CFO, I will not allow waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars to be left unchecked, and I will pursue any criminal attempting to steal from the taxpayers to the fullest extent of the law,” Ingoglia said in a news release.

The Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division launched the probe into the activity. Ingoglia said all state agencies involved were cooperating with the investigation. Additional arrests are anticipated in the next few weeks.

Briana McCarthy, who used to work for the Department of Financial Services, is believed to have orchestrated much of the suspected fraud, according to Ingoglia. She is charged with grand theft, aggravated white-collar crime, money laundering, scheme to defraud, criminal use of personal identification information, communications fraud, official misconduct and forgery.

Ingoglia said McCarthy is thought to have processed more than 220 suspicious property damage claims. That accounts for most of the $1.7 million in fraudulent payouts.

Other current and former state employees were arrested in the case:

— Brianna Hannan was charged with grand theft. She was a former employee of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).

— Carlotta Hawkins was charged with grand theft and cash deposit bank item with intent to defraud. Hawkins formerly worked for DBPR.

— Kearia Walker was charged with grand theft.

— Whitney Branch was charged with grand theft and cash deposit bank item with intent to defraud.

— Kavon Reese was charged with grand theft.