Former Lynn Haven City Manager, Community Services Director, And Three Business Executives Indicted

[TexasTowelie]

Former Lynn Haven City Manager, Community Services Director, And Three Business Executives Indicted for $5 Million Hurricane Michael Cleanup Fraud Conspiracy


PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Two former ranking City of Lynn Haven officials, including the city manager, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring with three local business executives to process some $5 million in fraudulent invoices for Hurricane Michael cleanup work that was not performed. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the indictments of former Lynn Haven City Manager Michael Edward White, 46; Lynn Haven Community Services Director David Wayne Horton, 55; Erosion Control Specialists (ECS) owner David Mitchelle White, 38; Greenleaf Lawn Care of Bay County owner Joshua Daniel Anderson, 43; and Shannon Delores Rodriguez, a/k/a Shannon Delores Harris, 37, all of Panama City.

The 35-count indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to commit wire fraud, substantive counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Michael White and Horton are also charged with substantive counts of theft concerning programs receiving Federal funds and honest services fraud. Michael White and David White are also charged with filing false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Horton is also charged with mail fraud concerning the defrauding of an insurance company.

“The greatest cost of public corruption is the potential widespread loss of public trust in our government. It is a dangerous virus that threatens to infect public service and public trust in it, and we are committed to stop the spread of that virus of corruption,” said Keefe, who last week announced indictments in an unrelated public corruption case. “Preventing, pursuing, prosecuting and punishing public corruption is among our highest priorities. The common thread in today’s case and in last week’s case is simply this: an egregious abuse of power and position by people in public service who betrayed their sacred duties – and those who sought to illegally scheme and conspire with them – to breach the public’s trust.”

“Abusing one's position for personal gain – especially in a time of crisis – is a blatant disregard to the oath that every government official takes,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Federal assistance programs are established to help individuals, families, and businesses that have suffered tremendous loss, and abusing these programs is egregious. The FBI is committed to protecting these programs from fraud to ensure that honest citizens can receive the assistance they deserve when they need a helping hand the most."

Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-lynn-haven-city-manager-community-services-director-and-three-business