A local roofer in Southwest Florida has been arrested once again, this time by state authorities.

Reife Petersen, owner of JKS Construction, is accused of stealing nearly $1 million from customers and spending it on extravagant gifts for himself.

Multiple homeowners expressed relief to WINK Investigates at the action taken by local and state agencies. However, they remain frustrated as Petersen had assured them he would complete their roofing projects, which they say never happened.

A new 26-page arrest warrant from the Florida Department of Financial Services details 24 instances of insurance fraud. Petersen faces 20 felony charges, including grand theft and scheme to defraud.

Whitney Christy, who hired JKS Construction after Hurricane Ian, paid more than $31,000 for roof repairs. She said no work was done, and no supplies were delivered.

“I don’t take pleasure in the demise of others, but he’s a grown man making adult decisions, and now he has adult consequences,” Christy said. “It’s ultimately just good old fashioned American justice.”

In March 2025, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation tracing other customers’ money back to Petersen, leading to his arrest.

“That money should have either gone back to the victim or it should have gone to the insurance company where it rightfully belonged,” said Corporal Chris

Farley from the Economic Crimes Unit of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

Petersen’s attorney, Bjorn Brunvand, plans to file a not guilty plea. He says he will look into the allegations and evaluate what happened. “If people did not have their projects completed, obviously we’ll do whatever we can to try to rectify that,” Brunvand promised.

“This is not a scenario where my client collected a bunch of money and fled the country. Quite the opposite. I mean, he’s known that these potential allegations were going to surface. He has remained in the area. He’s remained accessible,” Brunvand added.

State investigators claim Petersen funneled money through an account linked to RG Worldwide, a company they say was not a legitimate business.

Petersen’s attorney responded, “The majority of the funds were, in fact, used for legitimate purposes.”