PORT CHARLOTTE — Two Charlotte County business owners are accused of illegally cashing third-party checks at their store, according to court records released this week.
The investigation dates back to June 2022, focusing on EZ Liquor, 3651 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte.
Arrested were Kaushal Kumar Patel, 40, and Kinjal Patel, 37, both of North Port, each was charged with two counts of operating unlicensed money services $100,000 or more, records show.
Investigators Robert Tamras and Joan Kalloo, with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of Financial Investigations, filed a 38-page report detailing their findings in the case.
The report states that previous owner of the store, R&D Stores of Florida, LLC, surrendered its check cashing license in July, 2021.
“This license surrender should have stopped Kinjal, Inc. dba EZ Liquor from cashing third-party checks over $2,000 and $100,000 over a 12-month period utilizing R&D Stores of Florida, LLC’s license.”
The report states, “Kaushal and Kinjal Patel continued their business-as-usual check cashing operation after R&D Stores of Florida surrendered their license.”
The investigation report included documentation of several cashed checks in 2022 that were deposited into bank accounts associated with the business, including 19 for contractors doing work in the construction at Sunseeker Resort.
The report also shows signs at the EZ Liquor store that advertise “checks cashed” inside and outside of the store.
The officers with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation worked with prosecutors for the State Attorney’s Office and obtained arrest warrants.
Deputies arrested Kaushal Patel and Kinjal Patel on the warrants and they were booked Thursday into the Charlotte County Jail.
Kaushal Patel and Kinjal Patel were each released on $20,000 bond.