RIGHT SPEAK: Former County Commissioner Avoids Tax Fraud Charge After Statute of Limitations Runs Out; Riverview Man Accused of Stealing $40K in COVID-19 Relief Funds, and other C-Virus related stories

Former county commissioner avoids tax fraud charge after statute of limitations runs out

Former County Commissioner Bryan Lober evaded tax fraud charges stemming from an investigation into his use of his county-issued charge card during the COVID-19 pandemic, after the statute of limitations on the alleged crime ran out earlier this year, the state attorney's office said Monday.

Prosecutors declined to file two additional potential felony charges stemming from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement probe due to lack of evidence, they said.

The announcement brings to a close an investigation nearly two years in the making, which began in November 2022 after irregularities in Lober's office were discovered during a county-wide audit led by Brevard County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Rachel Sadoff.

FDLE investigators produced sufficient evidence to charge Lober with a fraudulent tax exemption claim, the office of State Attorney Phil Archer said in a press release, after they accused Lober of using the county's tax exemption certificate to avoid sales tax on supplies for his re-election campaign.

However, the statute of limitations on the third-degree felony charge expired this April, over a month before FDLE investigators delivered their results to prosecutors, according to a disposition letter posted by Archer's office.

"Were it not for the unfortunate expiration of the statute of limitations Mr. Lober would have faced criminal prosecution for the felony crime of Fraudulent Claim of Tax Exemption, a charge both appropriate and warranted by the evidence uncovered in this investigation," Archer said in a statement.

Lober said Monday afternoon he would not comment on the results of the investigation until he had a chance to review the press release and case files. --->READ MORE HERE

Riverview man accused of stealing $40K in COVID-19 relief funds:

A Riverview man was arrested after federal prosecutors allege he fraudulently applied for two Paycheck Protection Program loans that were meant to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Antonetti, 28, allegedly made “false representations” on applications in order to secure the loans, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Antonetti allegedly said he was an owner and sole employee of a video production company that didn’t exist, according to the indictment.

He allegedly stole more than $40,000 in PPP loans and transferred the money to bank accounts under his name in April and May of 2021, according to the DOJ.