Two Florida Men Arrested for Staged Boat Theft

Jorge Bellomo and Eugenio Ulowicz were arrested after an undercover operation led by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF), Florida Fish & Wildlife State Law Enforcement and the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department uncovered their scheme to stage a fraudulent boat theft in order to collect insurance claim money.

Between December 2013 and January 2014, Bellomo and Ulowicz conspired to stage the theft of the boat in order to pocket the claim money. During the planning process, Ulowicz recruited and enlisted the help of a third party, without knowing of the party’s involvement with law enforcement. It was discussed that this individual would dispose of the boat, and Bellomo turned over the keys. Several weeks later, Bellomo reported the boat stolen to the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and Progressive Insurance Company. Although the boat was already in police custody, Bellomo noted that he last had seen it docked near his residence several days earlier.

Bellomo and Ulowicz were arrested on April 3, 2014, at which time they were escorted to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade. Each individual is currently booked on a bond of $10,000, and if convicted, faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison.

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services