News

Today, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator William “Brock” Long urging FEMA to reconsider an upcoming vendor transition that could delay the processing of federal flood claims in Florida. CFO Patronis asked FEMA officials to release a transition plan that ensures no pending claims face delays or to consider delaying the transition until the end of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis honored Department of Financial Services Lieutenant Glen Clasen as a recent recipient of the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida’s Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. Lt. Clasen was honored for his work on a high-profile personal injury protection (PIP) case that led to a successful 14-year mail fraud conviction in federal court.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis honored Department of Financial Services Detective Scott Utecht as a recent recipient of the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida’s Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. Detective Utecht’s expertise and dedication led to the successful conviction of South Florida sober home operator Kenneth Chatman in a high-profile fraud case.

CFO Patronis said, “Sober homes claim to be a place of refuge for recently recovering addicts, but for many of them, nothing could be further from the truth. Many of these facilities do nothing more than siphon a patient’s insurance benefits until there’s nothing more to take, only to return these vulnerable people to the streets from which they came. I am proud of Detective Utecht’s unending dedication to stopping these activities in our state.”