FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tommie Lee Nelson, a 65-year-old Miramar resident, was booked into Broward County Main Jail on Friday in connection with a six-figure wire fraud case. Nelson, who operated a state-registered company named Hugh Johnson Enterprises, stands accused of stealing $455,000 from a co-operative attempting to purchase a farm and manufacturing facility in Danville, Virginia.
According to a July 8 grand jury indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Nelson misrepresented himself as a “hard money lender and potential business partner.” He promised to finance the co-op’s acquisition of the property and claimed he would handle negotiations with the seller.
Nelson opened a bank account under Hugh Johnson Enterprises and accepted payments from the victim, which prosecutors say he diverted for personal use, including gambling and payments to associates.
Authorities further allege Nelson even traveled to Virginia with the buyer to inspect the property to lend credibility to the scheme. He also sent a fraudulent loan pre-qualification certificate from another lender and falsely assured the victim that funds would be held in escrow.
Despite these claims, Nelson never intended to purchase the property, instead delaying the process with excuses, including ongoing renegotiations of the sale price.
Nelson faces up to 20 years in federal prison as his case proceeds in Lynchburg, Virginia. As of Monday, he remains in custody in South Florida.
