JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Five years after attempting to swindle Jacksonville's electrical utility out of hundreds of millions of dollars, disgraced ex-JEA CEO Aaron Zahn will stay out of prison for a few extra months.
At the end of an arduous, drama-filled saga spanning from March 2019 to August 2024, Zahn was sentenced to four years in a federal prison for conspiracy to embezzle federal property and wire fraud. A jury found Zahn guilty at the end of a month-long federal trial in March 2024.
This week, Federal Judge Brian Davis approved a request for Zahn to extend his time out of prison to assist his family with damage to their home from hurricanes Milton and Helene. His previous deadline to turn himself in was Oct. 28, but that has now been extended to Jan. 27, 2025.
Zahn submitted pictures of his damaged home to the court, including a large hole in the wall in a bedroom, fallen trees and floodwater inside his home. In one picture, workers are pictured entirely gutting a kitchen.
Zahn has appealed his sentence, saying the federal government failed to prove he was guilty. On Oct. 4, Zahn submitted a request to be released from prison until that appeal is ruled on, claiming he was not a flight risk. He listed the damage to his home as one reason that he would not be likely to leave the area.
The prosecution representing the United States of America in Zahn's case did not oppose the motion.
