Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Aaron Collins, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, announced that Ronald Jansson, 59, of Miramar, pled guilty today to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) in order to obtain a disaster assistance loan for real estate repair and replacement based on alleged disaster damage from Hurricane Wilma, in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 645(a). The sentencing hearing was scheduled for September 30, 2010 at 1:15 p.m. before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.

Hurricane Wilma made landfall in South Florida on October 24, 2005. According to a factual proffer agreed to by the defendant in Court, Jansson sought a loan for $143,700 for his property in Miramar, Florida, to include a major overhaul of his home based on Hurricane Wilma disaster related damages. Investigation revealed that Jansson’s home was already in considerable disrepair before Hurricane Wilma struck South Florida and that the condition of his home was not a result of the hurricane. Jansson subsequently fabricated and altered expense invoices, work estimates, and contracts to falsely substantiate his expenditure of disaster funds to the SBA. Jansson spent the money, in part, to pay off a mortgage refinance of his home and purchase an automobile.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the SBA Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy D. Katz.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.