FORT MYERS — A 45-year-old Naples man who posed as a contractor and swindled an 85-year-old Hurricane Ian victim out of more than $1.26 million has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Luis Emilio Hernandez on wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions charges and entered a forfeiture order of $1,261,019 — the full proceeds of the scheme. Hernandez entered a guilty plea on March 30.
According to court documents, Hernandez targeted the elderly woman and her husband, now deceased, between November 2022 and approximately February 2024, claiming he would repair their Naples residence damaged by Hurricane Ian. The victim wrote 35 personal checks to Hernandez in amounts ranging from $200 to $120,000, with memo lines specifying construction-related items such as windows, materials, paint and permits. None of the checks were deposited — instead, they were cashed against the victim’s account.
Hernandez never performed the work. According to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, “the defendant had never applied for or received licensing of any sort in the State of Florida.” Records from the Collier County Property Appraiser showed no permits had been pulled for the victim’s residence since Feb. 28, 2018, when a roof permit was issued. The next permit on record was issued on May 30, 2023 — for the demolition of the home.
Rather than buying construction supplies, Hernandez used the victim’s money to purchase vehicles, then flipped them through trade-ins at multiple automobile dealerships, buying additional vehicles with a combination of trade-in value and more of the victim’s funds.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Darcey and Jesus M. Casas. The Department of Justice noted the case aligns with the mission of its National Fraud Enforcement Division, announced April 7, which exists “to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.” The division supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.