Contractor impersonator swipes $174,000 from Florida fire survivor.
On March 19, a Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations officer arrested Cornelius Sentell Osborne in Plantation. Authorities say Osborne, who was on probation for a prior incident, posed as a licensed general contractor and secured work to restore a fire‑damaged home in Hollywood.
Investigators discovered that Osborne collected $174,000 from the homeowner and then abandoned the project after several months, leaving the property uninhabitable. Prosecutors are charging him with grand theft and acting as an unlicensed contractor, offenses that carry a potential maximum sentence of 30 years.
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced the arrest as part of ongoing efforts to combat fraud that targets vulnerable residents. The Department has said the case demonstrates its commitment to pursuing individuals who misrepresent themselves and defraud homeowners.
No charges have been filed yet, and the case is currently under investigation. The Department has indicated that the arrest is part of a broader initiative to protect citizens from similar fraudulent practices.