A Miami man is facing serious charges after being caught impersonating a public insurance adjuster in Broward County, defrauding homeowners out of nearly $35,000. Giorgio Giovanni Gonzalez, 38, was charged with two counts of third-degree felony for unlawfully operating as a licensed adjuster and failing to deliver settlement checks owed to clients, officials say. According to a news release obtained by NBC Miami, the Department of Financial Services is leading the investigation into Gonzalez's activities.
Gonzalez, whose adjuster license was suspended in 2013 for reasons including his failure to maintain a surety bond, managed to withhold necessary funds from policyholders who had entrusted him with their home damage claims. In one case he outright failed to give one Davie policyholder the $18,000 they were due, and in another instance, a Pembroke Pines homeowner received a bounced check for $16,424, due to insufficient funds, according to NBC Miami. The deception resulted not only in financial loss for the victims but in upped insurance rates and a tarnished reputation for practicing professionals.
Further complicating Gonzalez's legal troubles is his history with such fraudulent acts. Previously, in 2023, he was arrested in Miami-Dade County "for a similar act," as reported by officials, according to NBC Miami. This past case included charges of acting as a public adjuster illegally, and one count of grand theft layered onto his rap sheet. Information regarding this previous case was mentioned briefly by Sun Sentinel.
CFO Jimmy Patronis spoke on the broader impact of such fraudulent activities in the state, "When unlicensed public adjusters take advantage of the system, every policyholder in the state loses. Insurance fraud drives up rates and devalues the professionalism of honest public adjusters and insurance agents." Patronis added, "As Florida’s insurance market begins to improve little-by-little, we will continue to assure companies and policyholders that fraud will not be tolerated in our state," as detailed in the NBC Miami release. With convictions, Gonzalez could face up to 30 years in prison, signaling Florida's increasingly tough stance on insurance fraud and its commitment to protect consumers and legitimate business practitioners.
