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Jacksonville business owner accused of stealing nearly $200K from the state

Vicente Serrano, 59, turned himself into police Wednesday after an investigation found he failed to report thousands acquired through the sale of towed vehicles.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The owner of ASAP Towing & Storage was arrested Wednesday on felony charges for defrauding the state out of more than $190,000, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrest report.

Vicente Serrano, 59, turned himself into the Police Memorial Building Wednesday morning after an investigation into his business found he failed to report thousands of dollars acquired through the sale of towed vehicles, the report states.

Florida law requires towing and wrecker company operators that sell unclaimed vehicles to deposit excess profits with the Clerk of Court. 

Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Vicente Serrano, 59.

In Oct. 2023, JSO conducted an audit of towing companies on its Towing Operators List. After the audit, police made a change to comply with Florida statutes requiring all towing companies to produce documents on the public sales of vehicles.

When the changes were implemented in January, detectives found discrepancies in ASAP's sale documents, the report states.

This discovery prompted JSO to expand its investigation, which revealed additional discrepancies in sale amounts of at least 12 vehicles from October 2023 to December 2023.

Following a review of hundreds of the business' sale documents, investigators determined a pattern of fraud committed over several years. JSO said Serrano defrauded approximately $193,958.54 from the State of Florida between 2020 to 2024.

He faces charges of grand theft and organized fraud, both first-degree felonies.

Serrano was released on his own recognizance, his arrest report states.

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