Unlicensed Contractor Who Exploited Elderly Hurricane Ian Victim Sentenced to Federal Prison

Fort Myers, Florida - Luis Emilio Hernandez (45, Naples) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to four years in federal prison for wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,261,019, the proceeds of the fraud. Luis Emilio Hernandez entered a guilty plea on March 30, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, following Hurricane Ian, between November 2022 and approximately February 2024, the victim, an 85-year-old woman, and her husband (now deceased) were defrauded by Hernandez, who posed as a contractor to fix the victim's residence in Naples which had been damaged by the storm.

The victim wrote personal checks to Hernandez for supplies and equipment supposedly needed by the defendant to fix the victim's residence. The checks were never deposited, instead cashed against the victim's account in amounts varying from $200 to $120,000, and in cashier's checks payable to automobile dealerships. The memo line for each check was specified for items related to construction (windows, materials, paint, permits, etc.). A total of 35 checks were issued to the defendant in the amount of $1,261,019.

According to the Collier County Property Appraiser, no permits were pulled for the victim's residence since February 28, 2018, when a permit for a roof was issued. The next permit was on May 30, 2023, when the residence was demolished. According to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the defendant had never applied for or received licensing of any sort in the State of Florida.

The defendant's scheme consisted of him cashing checks from the victim, purchasing vehicles with those funds, then flipping those vehicles in trade-ins at multiple automobile dealerships, and purchasing other vehicles with additional funds from the victim's checks and trade-ins.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Lee County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Darcey and Jesus M. Casas.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.