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Businessman accused of stealing $100M from nonprofit's disabled clients found in contempt of court

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Published  May 2, 2025 6:21pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News
Businessman accused of taking $100M from special needs trust funds

Businessman accused of taking $100M from special needs trust funds

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

The Brief

    • A Pinellas County businessman accused of stealing $100 million from the trust funds of a nonprofit's disabled clients was found in contempt of court Friday.
    • Leo Govoni was reprimanded for not producing records and information related to the 150 or so companies and properties he owned.
    • As part of the judge's contempt ruling, she ordered Govoni to pay $5,000 a day until he's produced the required documents.

TAMPA - A Pinellas County businessman accused of stealing $100 million from the trust funds of a nonprofit's disabled clients was found in contempt of court Friday.

Leo Govoni appeared in federal bankruptcy court where a judge reprimanded him for not complying with several orders to produce records and information related to the 150 or so companies and properties he owned.

As part of the judge's contempt ruling, she ordered Govoni to pay $5,000 a day until he's produced the required documents, along with attorney fees for both sides and other costs associated with the case. If he doesn't hand over the records by May 12, the judge indicated she plans to recommend a criminal contempt charge.

The backstory:

As FOX 13 reported when it broke the story last year, Govoni is the founder of the Center for Special Needs Trust in St. Petersburg, which oversaw the trust funds for hundreds of disabled clients.

A Pinellas County businessman accused of stealing $100 million from the trust funds of a nonprofit's disabled clients was found in contempt of court Friday.

Early last year, the Center filed for bankruptcy after discovering $100 million in missing funds, which they determined were given to Govoni and at least one of his companies in the form of loans that he never paid back. Court records show the accounts of more than 1,500 clients were fully or partially drained. Families have told FOX 13 those funds included critical medical expenses that, in some cases, were meant to last a lifetime.

A judge previously found Govoni liable to repay $100 million and an additional $20 million in interest.

In court Friday, attorneys for the plaintiffs, which included the court-appointed trustee tasked with overseeing the Center following the bankruptcy filing, told the judge they've tried since September to get Govoni to turn over the required records, but he hasn't.

The judge also ordered Govoni to stop selling or closing down properties without permission, after he was accused of recently selling a one for $1.6 million without the court's knowledge.

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FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer asked Govoni several questions on the way into and out of court, including whether he has anything to say to the families impacted, if he knows where the money is, whether he feels remorse and whether he feels he should be found in contempt. Neither he nor his attorney responded to the questions.

An attorney for many of the families of the disabled clients involved in this case said Govoni's delaying of the case has caused them more pain.

"It's been really challenging for them. They have a lot of medical needs. Most of their medical needs are met by payment from trust funds, which are no longer there," attorney Megan Murray said after the hearing. "It feels like a complete disregard for the victims and welfare and what they've been through over the last decade or so. The victims deserve better and it was unfortunate to hear some of the things that were testified to because the victims are really at a loss. A lot of them are fully compromised. They don't have alternative resources."

Govoni has been the center of state and federal investigations, but so far has not faced criminal charges.

Earlier this year, Leo Govoni was stripped of his ownership of Big Storm Brewing, of which he was a partial owner.

Earlier this year, he was stripped of his ownership of Big Storm Brewing, of which he was a partial owner. The company has since closed several stores, but the main one in Clearwater remains open for now.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer.

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