TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A California man has been arrested for fraudulent claims of unclaimed property to the Division of Unclaimed Property (DUP) located in Tallahassee, per an affidavit.
John Alan Garcia made these claims in the period between Feb. 20, 2016, and Feb. 26, 2019, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The claims amount totaled $29,000 and Garcia obtained $10,000 of those funds, per court documents. He has been charged with five third-degree felonies, one first-degree felony and two second-degree felonies.
Those crimes include Invalid Claim For Unclaimed Property, Grand Theft, Organized Fraud, Communication Fraud, Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification Information and Criminal Use of a Public Record to Facilitate a Felony.
More on crime in our area:
The affidavit lists eleven different claims made by Garcia that displayed fraudulent activity. Court records reveal that some claims were made under the name John Garcia, while others listed Juan Garcia or Gloria Garcia.
The man also stole someone’s social security number and attached it to several claims made under Juan Garcia.
According to detectives on the case, many documents were altered for these claims, including forged utility bills, bank statements, social security cards and even a death certificate.
Officers traced debit cards and bank accounts linked to John Alan Garcia that were used for postage and received fraudulent payments.
The case is being handled by Florida finance investigators as the crimes were committed at a state agency in Tallahassee.
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.