TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – One woman is behind bars and facing a litany of charges after allegedly defrauding state agencies out of nearly $2 million.
Briana McCarthy allegedly approved fraudulent property damage claims while she was employed with the Florida Department Financial Services as a Risk Management Program Specialist.
Arrest papers said she also recruited other people into the scheme and altered or submitted fake documents for them.
McCarthy is facing a litany of charges including money laundering and grand theft, according to arrest documents.(CJIS)
Documents show McCarthy processed 224 suspicious claims, some of them for people she knew personally spanning from 2021 to 2024.
Over 200 of the suspicious claims were missing required documents, according to the arrest report. Nearly 80 claimants didn’t have a vehicle registered in Florida when the incident allegedly happened.
In addition, 45 did not have a driver license or did not own a vehicle in Florida, and altered registrations were submitted in 23 claims, according to arrest documents.
The investigation claims McCarthy used Department of Transportation and Department of Risk Management files to change information and create false claims.
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Some suspected false documents, including altered vehicle registrations, were found inside McCarthy’s desk, according to the arrest papers.
Investigators also noted that many of the fraudulent claims were “processed unusually fast.” The arrest report details that 48 fraudulent claims were processed the same day they were received. In contrast, investigators say the average time McCarthy took to process a claim was 62 days.
Overall, McCarthy allegedly processed over 220 suspicious property damage claims filed with DRM resulting in a theft of over $1,700,000 being fraudulently paid out.
McCarthy is charged with grand theft, aggravated white collar crime, money laundering, scheme to defraud, criminal use of personal identification information, solicitation and conspiracy, communications fraud with intent to obtain property, official misconduct, uttering, and forgery.
WCTV has reached out the Florida Department of Financial Services for comment.
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