TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Families are responding to the news that Leo Govoni, the businessman from Pinellas County accused of siphoning millions from special needs trusts intended to support disabled individuals and their families, has been criminally charged.
Govoni’s personal accountant, John Witeck, was also arrested, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed.
Milt McMinn said his son, Chase, was shot in the head by a disgruntled customer at a Colorado auto body shop eight years ago.
While Chase miraculously survived, his injuries left him a quadriplegic and unable to speak.
Through several lawsuits, Chase was awarded money
Like many others, he entrusted those funds to Govoni’s now bankrupt non-profit.
Although McMinn didn’t get to see Govoni and Witeck in court Monday, it was welcome news.
“Nice, about darn time,” he said. “I’m hoping that we get some money back.”
Erin Sumrall said an incident at a hospital seven years ago left her brother, Sean, a quadriplegic.
Sean reached a settlement with the hospital in November 2023.
In a similar tale, Sean put the money in a trust for safekeeping.
Most of those dollars are now gone, and the non-profit’s founder and accountant are behind bars.
“I feel relieved for all the families who have been struggling with the funds that disappeared from their accounts, as their families have had to support them and make up for it somehow,” Sumrall expressed.
Kimberly Muszinski had entrusted her daughter Abby’s funds to Govoni’s non-profit, The Center For Special Needs Trust Administration, which she received from a wrongful birth lawsuit.
Abby has since passed away, but Monday, Muszinski’s decade long fight came to a head.
“It means so much just to have known that we found justice once and for all — after 10 years of fighting this, it’s absolutely incredible,” she explained.
Govoni remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
His attorney, Paul Sisco, said some of the information from law enforcement, he might be seeing for the first time.
Sisco explained that he will now have to take a deep dive into that investigation before moving forward.
“There’s a lot of homework to do at this point, and a lot of learning to do and a lot of seeing the extent of the investigation and seeing what we find credible and what we don’t,” he said.
Govoni and Witeck are facing 15 grand jury charges: conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and false bankruptcy declaration.
Govoni is due back in court at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
