United States of America v. Luis Emilio Hernandez

Fort Myers, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud and money laundering.

Following Hurricane Ian in 2022, Luis Emilio Hernandez, age 45, of Naples, convinced an 85-year-old victim to write him personal checks totaling over $1.2 million for construction materials and repairs that were never performed. Instead, Hernandez cashed the checks for his own personal gain. Investigators confirmed that Hernandez did not hold a contractor’s license in Florida, and no permits were ever pulled for any of the alleged work. Even after the elderly victim sold the home and it had been demolished, Hernandez continued to contact the victim through text messages and even made personal visits to their assisted living residence, intentionally lulling the victim to provide him with additional funds. To conceal the source of the funds, Hernandez laundered the victim’s money by purchasing and flipping vehicles in trade-ins at multiple car dealerships throughout the area.

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.

The Defendant elected to plead guilty. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for each money laundering count. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of over $1.2 million and other assets traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.