In February and March 2025, whistleblower Shawn Martin sent urgent escalation emails to a wide range of authorities — including the DBPR, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, NBC Universal, the City of Plantation, the Attorney General’s Office, and multiple Florida state legislators — documenting what he believed to be organized fraud at Omega Villas Condominium Association.
The Core Allegations Raised:
- Furring strips were discovered added to buildings outside the original contract scope, potentially to increase wall thickness and force owners into expensive window replacements
- The construction contract allegedly included a material alteration changing walls added furring strips & the material was changed from t1-11 wood to hardie board (later stricken – from 1-ply to 2-ply) without the required 75% owner vote
- Owners were facing approximately $30,000 per unit in window replacement costs — roughly $3.8 million community-wide — for work the City of Plantation itself stated wasn’t required
- City fines had grown to approximately $897,000 with no resolution in sight
- An FPL underground power line had been struck by Austro’s fencing crew, with the fence subsequently built directly over it
The Response He Got:
- City of Plantation Police: “Civil matter, not our jurisdiction”
- Broward County Sheriff’s Office: “No jurisdiction”
- Florida State Law Enforcement: “No jurisdiction”
- DBPR’s Richard Otway acknowledged the Division lacks authority to investigate fraud directly, but offered to forward allegations to the Attorney General’s Office — which Martin had already contacted
The DBPR’s Own Words: Richard Otway, Financial Examiner/Analyst Supervisor at the DBPR Bureau of Compliance, confirmed in writing that the Division cannot investigate criminal fraud, only forward it to other agencies. He noted the election complaint remained under active investigation pending referral to the Office of General Counsel.
The Bigger Picture: This email chain illustrates what Martin describes as a systemic oversight gap — where HOA fraud allegations fall between jurisdictional cracks, with each agency pointing to another. With 8-10 active DBPR cases, over 10 police calls, complaints to the State Attorney, Attorney General, Governor’s Office, and multiple legislators — and no formal investigation launched — the question Martin posed publicly remains unanswered:
“Who is going to look into the possible fraud activities happening in this Broward County district?”
Cross-References: Master File – see Exhibit L, Exhibit O, Exhibit Q, Exhibit T, RICO Email Escalations Timeline
Emails on this Matter:
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