Ricardo Martinez
A joint investigation between the FBI and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office ended today in the arrest of RICARDO MARTINEZ in Coral Gables, Florida. MARTINEZ was charged with multiple felony counts which included a scheme to defraud, mortgage fraud, and unlawful promises to provide insider-information.
MARTINEZ was employed in South Florida as an asset manager for a large financial holdings corporation. Investigators learned that MARTINEZ tried to extort a local business person to send money in the form of “kickbacks” to MARTINEZ personally from the sale of the corporation’s real estate properties in Okaloosa County.
During an undercover “sting” operation, Investigators sent funds requested by MARTINEZ to his private address in South Florida. MARTINEZ accepted the funds personally and he made efforts to conceal the money from all official real estate closing documents. Further, MARTINEZ promised to provide other financial benefits to a local individual in exchange for the same “kick-back” agreement in the future.
The joint effort was successful due to ongoing partnerships between local and Federal authorities targeting fraudulent acts affecting the citizens of Okaloosa County.
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