A Florida prison inmate is accused of directing a scheme that used fraudulent business documents to claim money the state was holding for legitimate companies.
Investigators say the group sought nearly $2 million and collected more than $240,000.
Johnson Cuffy, 48, is one of seven defendants named in the investigation.
November 9 booking and transport records show he was brought from Avon Park Correctional Institution to Broward County for court proceedings in the fraud case.
Affidavit Says People Outside Prison Collected the Checks
The six-page excerpt from the October 14 probable-cause affidavit describes an operation spanning 2022 through 2024. Florida Department of Financial Services Detective Brittany Lowery identified approximately 57 allegedly fraudulent claims seeking $1,990,533.71; Local 10 reported November 10 that eight claims succeeded.
Lowery alleges Cuffy obtained documents and initiated claims from prison, then sent forms to people outside the facility to sign and mail to the Division of Unclaimed Property. Checks were mailed to participants or collected from community mailboxes and deposited, with the proceeds distributed among people involved in the claims. The affidavit says different people participated in different claims.
A Similar Company Name Appeared in the Bank Records
One example involved money belonging to Countrywide Home Loans Inc. The affidavit says participants located funds held for that company and filed business records under the similar name Countrywide Home Loans Depot, then submitted documents seeking payment from the state.
Bank records described in the affidavit showed a state payment deposited into a Wells Fargo account belonging to Countrywide Home Loans Depot LLC in September 2022. Investigators traced subsequent transfers to Tracy Hunter and Serena Morrisey, among other transactions. Lowery also described communications in which Morrisey sent Cuffy photographs of the Countrywide check and a debit card associated with the account.
Other business names identified in the disputed claims included Washington Mutual, American Home Mortgage, Aegis Mortgage Company, First Franklin and GMAC Mortgage. Florida’s Division of Corporations explains that it accepts documents meeting filing requirements at face value; recording a document does not establish that its contents are accurate.
Prosecutor’s Filing Sets Out Charges Against Seven Defendants
The state’s October 16 amended information charges Cuffy with an organized scheme to defraud involving more than $50,000, a first-degree felony. Count 2 of the same filing jointly charges Ruel Green Jr., Tracy Hunter, Sylvester Cuffy, Serena Morrisey, Sharika Morgan and Charletta Gordon with an organized scheme to defraud involving more than $20,000 but less than $50,000, classified as a second-degree felony.
The filing also charges Green and Gordon with separate third-degree felony counts of criminal use of personal identification information. Those counts concern alleged unauthorized use of information belonging to IndyMac Venture and First Franklin, respectively.
Cuffy’s booking and transport records, filed November 9, also include an aggravated white-collar-crime booking entry. The accompanying court order sets a November 13 appearance at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Frank Ledee in case 26012259CF10A and directs that Cuffy be returned to state prison afterward. All seven defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Check Corporate Filings and Unclaimed Money in Your Business’s Name
The Florida Department of State recommends checking business filings regularly through Sunbiz and keeping a frequently monitored email address on record. The department says it sends email alerts about filings or changes in most cases.
If you find an unauthorized filing, contact the Division of Corporations about corrective options and report suspected business identity theft to local law enforcement. The department says an additional filing may correct the record, or a notarized Statement of Fact may be added for public notice; the original filing is not removed.
Businesses can search for funds under their current or former names through the state’s official Claim Your Cash Florida website. Searching and filing directly with the state are free. Contact the Division of Unclaimed Property about a suspicious claim involving your business, and preserve the relevant filings and correspondence.