A Winter Park man has been detained on charges related to an elaborate investment scam, involuntarily becoming the nexus of a fraud investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The suspect, Jerald Benjamin Clawson, 74, was handcuffed and hauled away by the law after allegedly duping victims out of several million dollars over the past few years, as reported by WESH.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, the investigation, beginning back in October 2023, revealed that Clawson's supposed real estate investment propositions—largely cash and bridge loans with the allure of guaranteed returns—were in reality feeding his personal coffers while dreams of profit evaporated into the ether for those invested. Clawson, reinforcing the perennial caution against too-good-to-be-true deals, left in his wake a trail of financial disappointment.
In the unfolding of this fraudulent tapestry, Clawson was apprehended last Thursday by the collaborative efforts of FDLE Fort Myers agents and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). Consequently, he finds himself awaiting further proceedings behind the demure grays of an Orange County Jail cell.
