FORT MYERS, Fla. — Luis Emilio Hernandez, 45, of Naples, was sentenced to four years in federal prison on July 8, 2026, for wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. A U.S. District Judge also ordered Hernandez to forfeit $1,261,019, the proceeds from a scheme that defrauded an 85-year-old woman and her deceased husband.
Hernandez posed as a contractor to repair the victim’s Naples residence, which had been damaged by Hurricane Ian. The fraudulent activity occurred between November 2022 and approximately February 2024. Hernandez entered a guilty plea on March 30, 2026, with U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announcing the sentencing.
According to court documents, the victim wrote personal checks to Hernandez for supplies and equipment purportedly needed to fix her residence. These checks were never deposited but instead cashed against the victim’s account, with amounts ranging from $200 to $120,000. Some were cashier’s checks made payable to automobile dealerships, despite the memo line on each check specifying construction-related items, such as windows, materials, paint, and permits. A total of 35 checks were issued to Hernandez, totaling $1,261,019.
Records from the Collier County Property Appraiser show no permits were pulled for the victim’s residence after February 28, 2018, when a roof permit was issued. The next recorded permit, on May 30, 2023, was for the demolition of the residence. Furthermore, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation indicates Hernandez never applied for or received any form of licensing in the State of Florida.
Hernandez’s scheme involved cashing the victim’s checks and using those funds to purchase vehicles. He then flipped these vehicles through trade-ins at multiple automobile dealerships, using additional funds from the victim’s checks and subsequent trade-ins to purchase other vehicles.
The United States Secret Service and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office jointly investigated the case.
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