Special needs trust bankruptcy two years later
It’s been two years since a non-profit based in St. Pete that handles trust funds for thousands of disabled clients filed for bankruptcy and it continues to devastate families. FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer reports.Â
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Two years after the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration filed for bankruptcy, families who depended on the nonprofit say the damage caused by its collapse is still shaping their daily lives.
The nonprofit’s bankruptcy filing on February 9, 2024, set off a sweeping investigation that focused almost immediately on its founder, Pinellas County businessman Leo Govoni. Prosecutors allege Govoni siphoned off money meant to support people with severe disabilities, many of whom relied on the trust funds for lifelong care.
For Rebekah Bowman, the past two years have been defined by uncertainty as she cares for her son, Kienan Freeman, who has cerebral palsy.
“There are plenty of struggles,” Bowman said. “Every day is a toss-up.”
Still, she says her son’s outlook keeps her going.
“He’s just pure. He’s just pure in his emotions and the way he behaves and how he just sees the world so innocently and that’s beautiful,” Bowman said.
What we know:
Court records show roughly $100 million was missing from the trust accounts of more than 1,500 clients. Many of those clients were people with severe disabilities who received settlements from personal injury lawsuits. In some cases, the money was supposed to last a lifetime.
The bankruptcy filing placed blame directly on Govoni. At the time, the nonprofit’s leadership said the discovery of the missing funds came as a shock.
“I think the missing funds came out of the blue,” said Beth Leytham, the center’s former spokesperson, in February 2024.
As months passed, investigators alleged Govoni loaned himself massive sums over a decade and never paid the money back. Federal authorities later accused him of using dozens of shell companies to hide the funds.
The backstory:
Families told the court the alleged theft left their children without basic necessities.
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“Our children are suffering without food, without medicine, without supplies,” said Theresa Schlosser, the mother of a disabled child, following a court hearing in June 2025.
Some families say Govoni personally reassured them their money was safe. Last year, Amparo Perales told FOX 13 Govoni convinced her that her son Javier’s $2 million trust fund was protected.
She said she eventually learned every cent was gone.
“It’s like going through the grief process because we trusted them,” Perales said.
Bowman also says she met Govoni and believed he was looking out for families like hers.
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“He puts off this persona like he’s there to protect you and take care of you while you’re taking care of your special needs person,” she said.
In June 2025, federal authorities arrested Govoni and his accountant, John Witeck, charging them with fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors say Govoni used victims’ money to fund his own business ventures and those of his sons.
“Govoni’s victims number in the hundreds, if not the thousands,” said U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe.
The government seized more than 100 of Govoni’s businesses and properties, including Big Storm Brewing. The Clearwater brewery recently sold at auction for $5.5 million, far less than what many families hoped it might bring in.
“I think everybody’s aware that a lot more money went into that brewery than came out of it,” Bowman said.
Authorities believe Govoni now owes closer to $150 million when interest is included.
“I have a hard time believing that all of the money will get brought back,” Bowman said.
What’s next:
Govoni remains in federal custody, and prosecutors say the case is far from over. Families say the only person who truly knows where the money is remains silent.
“I believe that he has all of the information and if he would just be willing to help out, but he’s not,” Bowman said. “I don’t think he ever will.”
Despite the uncertainty, Bowman says she focuses on her son’s happiness and perseverance.
“To know that there are a lot of disabled people who are like that and they have no idea of the things that Leo has done, and that’s good for them,” she said. “I’m glad he doesn’t know.”
The Source: Information for this story came from court records, federal prosecutors, along with two years of interviews with Rebekah Bowman, Amparo Perales, Theresa Schlosser, former Center for Special Needs Trust Administration spokesperson Beth Leytham, and U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe.