Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Authorities confirmed on Friday, Sept. 19, that Renee Long, the former deputy manager and human resources director in Jefferson County, had been arrested earlier that day and had bonded out.
The Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF), which is part of the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) and which investigated the case, charged Long with four counts. The four were one count of insurance fraud, two counts of grand theft, and one count of organized scheme to defraud.
The DIS issued a warrant for Long on Thursday, Sept. 18, and she turned herself in at the Jefferson County Jail on Friday and was released on bond.
Long, who worked under the county manager, resigned her job a few months back when it was discovered that she had listed on her health insurance coverage family members who weren’t eligible for the benefits.
Subsequently, the Jefferson County Commission referred the matter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for investigation, which agency in turn referred it to the DFS, which referred it to the DIF.
The DIF operates under the DFS’s Criminal Investigation Division, which is responsible for investigating various forms of fraud, including insurance fraud.