{"id":2308,"date":"2026-06-02T06:34:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T06:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2308"},"modified":"2026-06-02T06:34:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T06:34:49","slug":"hillsborough-county-business-owner-used-mail-fraud-scheme-to-buy-1-6m-house-indictment-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2308","title":{"rendered":"Hillsborough County business owner used mail fraud scheme to buy $1.6M house, indictment says"},"content":{"rendered":"

BLOOMINGDALE, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>A Hillsborough County business owner faces up to 20 years in federal prison after a federal mail fraud indictment said he allegedly used investor money to get a mortgage to buy a $1.6 million home.<\/p>

Read more St. Pete garbage truck driver accused of running over sleeping woman twice in alley: Police<\/a><\/p>

U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe announced the charge against Brandon Dutch Mendenhall, 46, during a press conference Monday.<\/p>

Hillsborough County mail fraud indictment<\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

<\/div>

Federal investigators said Mendenhall operated RAD Diversified, where he reportedly asked people for money to invest in real estate opportunities while promising a profit.<\/p>

“Those promises on lofty returns were false,” Kehoe said.<\/p>

Officials said Mendenhall successfully obtained a mortgage loan for a $1.6 million home on Clarksdale Lane by “over-inflating” his personal income, according to the federal indictment filed last Wednesday.<\/p>

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Kehoe said Mendenhall claimed business operating accounts for some of his investment funds were his personal income because he owned the companies.<\/p>

“Contrary to Mendenhall\u2019s claim, the deposits in these accounts consisted of investor money and other rental income. Again, these accounts were not Mendenhall’s personal bank accounts,” Kehoe said.<\/p>

Because the mortgage closing documents were mailed to a title company in the Middle District of Florida, federal prosecutors filed a mail fraud indictment.\u00a0<\/p>

Florida investor background<\/h2>

The backstory:<\/p>

Last summer, the Florida attorney general announced RAD Diversified was under investigation.<\/p>

Read more Wesley Chapel death investigation underway after possible human remains found near Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard<\/a><\/p>

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A review of online court records also shows bankruptcy cases tied to Mendenhall, something Kehoe mentioned during Monday\u2019s press conference.<\/p>

“Again, let me emphasize to you, this is one chapter in a larger chapter that’s under investigation,” Kehoe said.<\/p>

Federal investigation details<\/h2>

What we don’t know:<\/p>

Officials have not yet confirmed how many individual investors were impacted by the scheme or the total amount of money allegedly diverted by Mendenhall.<\/p>

They also haven’t released when Mendenhall will next appear in federal court or if additional individuals will face charges in connection with the operation.<\/p>

Defense response pending<\/h2>

The other side:<\/p>

FOX 13 reached out to attorneys listed in online court documents related to Mendenhall\u2019s case but has not heard back yet.<\/p>

Victim resources<\/h2>

What you can do:<\/p>

The FBI created a dedicated link for anyone who believes they may be a victim involved in this case.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more Tampa\u2019s Straz Center veteran showcase: Around 20 amateur performers hit the stage<\/a><\/p>

Click here for more information.<\/p>

The case’s future<\/h2>

What’s next:<\/p>

Mendenhall faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.<\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Hillsborough County business owner faces up to 20 years in federal prison after a federal mail fraud indictment said he allegedly used investor money to get a mortgage to buy a $1.6 million home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,3],"tags":[8,4],"class_list":["post-2308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-hillsborough-county","tag-crime-and-public-safety","tag-hillsborough-county"],"yoast_head":"\nHillsborough County business owner used mail fraud scheme to buy $1.6M house, indictment says - Tampa moving journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2308\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hillsborough County business owner used mail fraud scheme to buy $1.6M house, indictment says - 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