CFO Jimmy Patronis: Fraud Lieutenant Makes Kidnapping Arrest in Jacksonville  

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that one of the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Investigative Services (DIFS) Lieutenant’s was responsible for apprehending an alleged kidnapper in Jacksonville, Florida on July 14, 2023.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “As a father of two young boys, the thought of a child being kidnapped is one of my worst nightmares. Thanks to the quick thinking of one of our sworn law enforcement officers, this alleged kidnapper was apprehended and the children were safely returned to family. Our insurance fraud detectives are working in Florida communities every day to protect citizens and work together with local law enforcement to ensure our communities are safe. Although fraud is their primary focus, our fraud detectives are always on the lookout for bad actors in any form and I want to commend their hard work in protecting Floridians every day.”

On July 14, 2023, a DIFS Lieutenant heard the Jacksonville Communications Center put out a ‘Be On the Look Out’ (BOLO) for a gray Toyota Sienna heading northbound on I-95 that was involved in kidnapping two children. The DIFS Lieutenant was able to pull the suspect over based on the car description and license plate number. The DIFS Lieutenant stayed with the children following the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FPH) arriving on scene. The suspect was taken by JSO to the Duval County Jail and charged with two (2) counts of Kidnapping, Sexual Battery, Aggravated Battery, and Aggravated Assault.

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis 
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).