WINTER PARK, Fla. — 74-year-old Jerald Benjamin Clawson, of Winter Park, was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on charges of organized scheme to defraud and unlawful use of unregistered securities.
The arrest follows an investigation that began in October 2023 involving the FDLE, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
Clawson allegedly solicited real estate investments, promising guaranteed returns that were never delivered.
The investigation revealed that Clawson obtained several million dollars from victims, which were not invested as promised but instead used for his personal benefit in what authorities describe as a Ponzi scheme.
Clawson was arrested on August 28 in Winter Park by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after FDLE Fort Myers agents obtained an arrest warrant.
Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is prosecuting the case, and the investigation remains active.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
