TAMPA, FL – Glenn and Kathryn Jasen of Spring Hill are officially on the hook for a cold-blooded swindle that left a family fearing for their lives. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals just slammed the door on their appeal, upholding their wire fraud convictions stemming from a deliberately concealed sinkhole beneath their former home. This isn’t just negligence; it’s calculated deceit that put a family in danger.
The Jasens’ scheme dates back to 2009, when a sinkhole opened up under their property. They filed a claim with Citizens Property Insurance, raking in a cool $153,745.37. But instead of fixing the problem, they pocketed the cash, slapped on some cosmetic repairs, and put the house on the market – all while knowing a gaping hole threatened to swallow it whole. They actively *lied* on disclosure statements, assuring potential buyers there were no sinkhole issues.
In March 2015, the deception came crashing down – literally. A family with five children, unknowingly purchasing a deathtrap, heard a terrifying crash beneath their living room floor. A crack snaked across the floor, forcing an immediate evacuation. Imagine the fear, the disruption, the sheer terror of realizing the ground beneath your family is collapsing. The Jasens didn’t care. They’d already cashed their check and walked away.
The Eleventh Circuit wasn’t buying the Jasens’ defense. The court’s summary was blunt: “It is undisputed the Jasens knew their property had a sinkhole on it…because of [the insurance money].” They explicitly stated they knew of no sinkhole when they should have known better. The buyer testified he would *never* have purchased the property had he known the truth. The court concluded the Jasens “intentionally made material misrepresentations…calculated to deceive.”
The Jasens were found guilty of one count of wire fraud in October 2015 by a federal jury. This appeal was their last ditch effort to escape accountability. It failed. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Waterman skillfully handled the appeal, building on the groundwork laid by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo, who originally prosecuted the case.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center deserves credit for digging up the truth in this case. The Jasens thought they could get away with putting profit over people, but they were wrong. This conviction sends a clear message: deliberately defrauding buyers and endangering families will not be tolerated. Consider this a warning to anyone thinking of pulling a similar stunt – Grimy Times is watching, and the feds are ready to act.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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