Florida Roofers Arrested For Faking Roof Damage
TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of four individuals allegedly involved in an elaborate roofing fraud scheme in Tampa.
Paul Vautour, former Vice-President of Sales for Castle Roofing Company, along with Kiana Vatour, Robert Lusk Sr., and Robert Lusk Jr., face charges for intentionally causing damage to homeowners’ roofs to file fraudulent property insurance claims with Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
CFO Jimmy Patronis emphasized the severity of the fraudulent activities, stating, “Faking roof damage and inflating insurance claims is not only wrong, it’s a driving cause behind the rise of home insurance premiums for every single Floridian. Homeowners must be on the lookout for fraudsters like these trying to make a quick buck, especially following a storm.”
The arrests were the result of a collaborative effort involving dedicated insurance fraud detectives, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Citizens Property Insurance, and the Attorney General’s Office. Citizens’ President/CEO and Executive Director Tim Cerio acknowledged the impact of fraud on insurance rates and pledged ongoing support for investigators and local prosecutors.
The investigation, led by the CFO’s Division of Investigative and Forensic Services (DIFS), revealed that between September 2019 and October 2020, Paul Vautour and other Castle employees engaged in a systematic and ongoing course of business practices to defraud insurance companies and homeowners. A pattern of damage consistent with man-made manipulation of roof coverings was identified during an internal review of claims filed by Castle.
Citizens’ internal investigation further uncovered video footage of Castle employees causing damages to roofs, later presented as wind damage.
Subsequently, DIFS conducted an independent criminal investigation, revealing that Paul Vautour allegedly trained Castle employees to fabricate roof damage to facilitate fraudulent claims.
Paul Vatour, Kiana Vatour, and Robert Lusk Jr. were arrested on November 30 and booked into the Pinellas County Jail, while Robert Lusk Sr. was arrested on the same day and booked into the Pasco County Jail. Charges include Grand Theft, Criminal Use of Personal ID, Aggravated White Collar Crime, and Insurance Fraud.
