Investigators say a Miramar public insurance adjuster turned hurricane misery into his personal payday, siphoning off more than $611,000 in Hurricane Ian insurance money that was supposed to help South Florida homeowners rebuild.
One of those homeowners, Lee County cancer survivor Carla Dickey, told reporters she believes about $41,000 meant for her flooded home never made it out of the adjuster’s hands. When detectives broke the news, she said she “broke down to tears” and now doubts she will ever see the money.
Arrest and allegations
According to a probable cause affidavit, 46-year-old Francisco Javier Chaparro-Araus, owner of All Elements Public Adjusters in Miramar, is accused of unlawfully withholding $611,473.39 in settlement proceeds that belonged to ten policyholders. As reported by Insurance Journal, investigators say insurers issued settlement checks for Hurricane Ian damage, but the money was deposited into a Bank of America business account controlled by Chaparro-Araus and never forwarded to clients.
How investigators say the money disappeared
Investigators said the account was quickly drained through a mix of online transfers, Zelle and wire payments, point-of-sale debit card transactions and what they described as “excessive and substantial” cash withdrawals at the Seminole Hard Rock and Calder casinos. According to Local 10, jail records and arrest documents list multiple criminal counts, including alleged misapplication of insurance premiums and financial exploitation of older policyholders.
‘I broke down in tears’…