Florida Contractor Allegedly Funded Gambling Habit By Stealing From Elderly Hurricane Victims
Posted on: December 22, 2025, 12:56h.
Last updated on: December 22, 2025, 01:18h.
- A Bradenton man posing as a contractor allegedly stole $222K from mobile home residents in need of repairs after Hurricane Milton
- A police investigation found that some of the down payment money went to area arcades where illegal slots operate
Police in Bradenton, Fla., allege that a 54-year-old man posing as a contractor deceived elderly customers who were seeking to have their mobile homes repaired in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane Milton was a Category 5 storm in October 2024 that had one-minute sustained winds of 180 mph while in the Gulf of Mexico/United States. The strongest tropical cyclone to occur worldwide that year, Milton weakened before it made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on Florida’s Gulf coast. Bradenton, located just north of Sarasota, suffered extensive damage.
The Bradenton Police Department alleges that Brian Michaud saw an opportunity to defraud in the hurricane’s wake. Law enforcement claims Michaud posed as a general contractor and targeted the elderly in need of home repairs.
Police: Contractor Schemed Elderly
In a 13-count complaint, Bradenton police allege that Michaud took down payments totaling $222K from multiple residents living at the Seabreeze Mobile Home Park. Doing business as RedFin Construction, Michaud signed contracts to make various repairs to their mobile homes, including fixes to carports, lanais, roofs, and sheds.
Braden Detective Michael Carpenter fielded numerous complaints from Seabreeze residents. He subsequently initiated an investigation, and through financial subpoenas, determined that Michaud had spent more than $53K of the money at casinos and used other deposits for “daily living and recreational expenses.”
The website for RedFin Construction says it is “undergoing maintenance.” A former business card advertises “24-hour disaster recovery” and various residential services, including work on carports and lanais and repairs to aluminum structures. Michaud’s business claims to be a certified general contractor and roofer, though Carpenter says the license numbers he used were associated with a separate company.
Michaud failed to complete any of the work. While some transactions indicated Michaud made construction-related purchases, he didn’t use those materials to complete any of the victims’ projects,” said Carpenter.
Michaud is facing 13 felony charges, with 10 third-degree charges for presenting another contractor’s license number during a state-declared emergency. He’s also facing first-degree felony of scheming to defraud more than $50K, a first-degree charge of misappropriation of more than $100K in construction funds, and a first-degree aggravated count of white-collar crime against the elderly.
Carpenter says Michaud’s victims range in age from 62 to 95. Michaud remains in the Manatee County Jail after being denied bond.
Illegal Casino Arcades
Michaud’s alleged contracting business address is a warehouse along 30th St. W in Bradenton. RedFin was just 2.5 miles east along 44th Ave. W from the Seabreeze community.
Michaud’s business is also located near many so-called “arcades” that are nothing more than illegal slot machine businesses. The Florida Gaming Control Commission has called on state lawmakers to strengthen penalties for operating an illegal slots arcade, which currently come with rather lax consequences, such as misdemeanor charges.
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