WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) – The owner of a Walton County construction company now faces felony charges following his arrest last month in a fraud and money laundering case, authorities said today.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said that in December 2021 it received a call from a victim who was in the process of having a home built in Inlet Beach. The victim had been contacted by a local business who advised him he was being defrauded by his property developer.
Initial investigation found the victim hired Nicholas Henderson, 43, owner of Henderson Construction based out of Rosemary Beach in Walton County, according to the WCSO.
Walton County investigators say they found that, during the home-building process, Henderson altered invoices multiple times in 2021 and 2022 where prices for products and services were artificially inflated. In some cases, the victim was charged for services and products not provided, investigators say.
In the process, Henderson combined his illicit financial gains with legitimate business assets and by doing so illegally laundered money, according to the WCSO.
Authorities say Henderson is accused of stealing and laundering in excess of $75,000 from the victim.
He is charged with organized fraud greater than $50,000, money laundering greater than $20,000 less than $100,000, two counts of forgery, and two counts of submitting a false invoice.
Henderson was arrested and released on March 9 with a $30,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 23.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone who believes they may be a victim of Henderson Construction to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau.
The WCSO stated in a news release: “As we continue to see an uptick in financial crimes, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to perform due diligence on those you hire, prioritize auditing all transactions and pay close attention to any electronic monetary transfers. In addition, it’s also a good practice to obtain itemized invoices and verify they are not duplicated.”
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