INSIDER
Former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn was found guilty by a federal jury on Friday of attempting to defraud the city-owned utility.
Now that the JEA scandal has finally concluded with a federal trial leading to the conviction of the public utility’s former CEO Aaron Zahn, there’s one question that still lingers:
Former Chief Executive Officer of JEA, Aaron Zahn, found guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud on Friday and could spend 25 years in prison. His Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Wannemacher, was found not guilty. Those who were on hand when the proposed sale of JEA was beginning to play out, are starting to speak out.
Former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn was found guilty by a federal jury on Friday of attempting to defraud the city-owned utility.
One of the two juries reached a verdict in the federal trial of former JEA executives accused of conspiracy and fraud.
Juries on Thursday are set to begin deliberating the fates of Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher.
Jurors in the trial of former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher are now considering the testimony of more than 30 witnesses, which they heard over the course of 14 days of court proceedings, as they deliberate whether the two men are guilty or not guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Juries on Thursday are set to begin deliberating the fates of Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher.
The men are charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a proposed bonus plan that prosecutors said could have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars had the utility been sold.
It was the final day of testimony in the case against former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher who are accused of conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a proposed bonus plan that prosecutors said could have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars if the utility had been sold.
Federal prosecutors rested their case just after noon on Monday after calling their final two witnesses in their case against former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher who are accused of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Camille Lee-Johnson, the only remaining JEA board member who voted at the July 23, 2019 meeting who has not yet testified at the trial of former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher, invoked her Fifth Amendment right 26 times during a hearing to determine whether she and two other witnesses would be allowed to testify in front of the juries at the trial.
Testimony on Thursday was the first time juries heard from a member of former Mayor Lenny Curry’s staff in the federal case against former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and former CFO Ryan Wannemacher, who are accused of orchestrating what some are calling the largest attempt to defraud the city of Jacksonville.
On Tuesday, city attorneys who worked with JEA on those plans testified they were not aware of how much money executives could make even though one of them could have made millions off of the plan.
Monday marked Day 9 in the federal trial against former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and his former Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher, who are both charged with conspiracy and fraud.
There was more insight on Friday into what took place behind closed doors in events that could have led to what some say would have been the biggest scheme to defraud the City of Jacksonville.
On Thursday afternoon, jurors heard from former JEA executive Melissa Dykes during Day 7 of the fraud and conspiracy trial of former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and former Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher
Former JEA board members continued to testify on Wednesday in the case against two former JEA executives involving what some are calling one of the biggest schemes ever to try to defraud the City of Jacksonville.
The juries for the first time in the federal trial of two JEA executives accused of trying to take millions in personal profits from a proposed sale of the city-owned utility through a controversial bonus plan heard from a former JEA board member on Tuesday.
The trial of two JEA executives accused of trying to take millions in personal profits from a proposed sale of the city-owned utility through a controversial bonus plan entered its second week on Monday.
FBI special agent Angela Hill, a member of the local public corruption, returned to stand on Friday to describe her work as from the early stages of the investigation into two former JEA executives who are accused in a complex conspiracy.
The JEA scandal rocked the city and two men could face 25 years in federal prison if convicted, but it’s far from the first headline-grabbing politically-connected scandal to hit the Jacksonville area in recent years.
Former JEA CEO Paul McElroy said Thursday that he was “surprised” and “somewhat disappointed” when Aaron Zahn became interim CEO of the city-owned utility following McElroy’s 2018 retirement.
Opening statements will now begin Wednesday in a trial that is expected to last four weeks. Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher could get up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Jacksonville is gearing up for a trial some would say focuses on the biggest planned fraud against the city, a proposed sale of JEA that could have led to millions in bonuses for some executives.
Nearly two years after former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, prosecutors and defense attorneys will give their opening statements to two juries on Wednesday morning.
Nearly two years after former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher were indicted, jury selection will begin Thursday for their upcoming federal trial.
Nearly two years after former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher were indicted, jury selection will begin Thursday for their upcoming federal trial.
A former JEA CEO and his former chief financial officer are preparing to stand trial on federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, accused of trying to take millions in personal profits from a proposed sale of the city-owned utility through a controversial bonus plan. Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher were indicted in March 2022, and after numerous delays, their trial is ready to begin, nearly two years after their charges were announced.
With less than three weeks until former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn faces trial on criminal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, conflicting stories are emerging about the scuttled sale of the city-owned utility in 2019.
Outside consultants hired by JEA and the city of Jacksonville as the city-owned utility explored privatization in 2019 provided insight into the scuttled attempt to sell the utility, during testimony at a pre-trial hearing for former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher.
A federal judge said Thursday he will rule soon on a request to delay the upcoming trial of former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher.
Attorneys for former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher are expected back in court Thursday ahead of their upcoming fraud trial regarding the utility’s botched sale attempt.
Less than two weeks before their trial on federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges is scheduled to begin, attorneys for former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher are once again asking a judge to delay the start of the proceedings.
With less than three weeks until the scheduled federal criminal trial of former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher, prosecutors and defense attorneys were back in a Jacksonville courtroom Wednesday, discussing issues around witnesses, evidence, and jury selection.
A federal judge has ruled that two separate juries will be seated for the upcoming trial of former JEA executives Aaron Zahn and Ryan Wannemacher, due to how protected statements may be used during their defense.
Prosecutors have submitted the list of witnesses they plan to call in the trial of two former JEA executives facing federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Two former JEA executives facing federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud are still on track to face a trial in February, though defense attorneys raised the possibility of asking for a delay.
A federal magistrate judge has found that the criminal case against two former JEA executives was built without the use of protected statements made by the two, even as defense attorneys had argued that the case was tainted and the indictment needed to be dismissed.
A key decision in the criminal case against two former JEA executives is now in the hands of a federal judge.
Recently-filed court documents in the federal case against two former JEA executives accused of creating a lucrative bonus plan that could pay out millions if the utility were sold give new insight into the strategy behind their legal defense.
A multi-day hearing ahead of the federal trial for two former JEA executives revealed new details about events surrounding the attempted sale of the utility in 2019.
A multi-day hearing ahead of the federal trial for two former JEA executives revealed new details about events surrounding the attempted sale of the utility in 2019.
Lawyers for two former JEA executives facing federal charges in connection with the attempted sale of the utility spent over two hours at a hearing Thursday morning questioning the FBI special agent who led the investigation, about how the case was built.
Testimonies are expected to be heard on Monday from a range of current and former officials with the city of Jacksonville and JEA before two former JEA executives stand trial later this year.
A multi-day, pre-trial hearing for two former JEA executives facing federal charges is expected to include testimony from a range of current and former officials with the city of Jacksonville and JEA, later this month.
Attorneys for former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and former CFO Ryan Wannemacher are asking the judge to delay their upcoming federal trial on conspiracy and wire fraud charges until late next year.
Attorneys for former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn have asked a judge to move his upcoming federal trial on conspiracy and wire fraud charges to Tampa, arguing he cannot get a fair trial in Jacksonville.
The attempt to privatize JEA is now getting international attention. A delegation from African nations has visited Jacksonville to study ethics and transparency, and it’s using what happened with JEA as a case study.
Attorneys for former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and former JEA CFO Ryan Wannemacher filed a motion asking the judge to extend the discovery deadline 60 days from August 15 to October 14.
A court hearing for two former JEA executives, who have been indicted on federal charges, wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon with a judge setting some deadlines, leading up to a trial next year.
Lawyers for two former JEA executives facing conspiracy and wire fraud charges said they plan to push for a change of venue and asked for a trial date next year.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry told News4JAX on Thursday that he still doesn’t wish to speak directly about the federal indictments against the two former leaders of JEA.
Attorneys representing Ryan Wannemacher, the former chief financial officer of JEA, have filed a motion to continue, or delay, the deadlines for pretrial motions — as well as the trial date itself.
Aaron Zahn, the former CEO of the city-owned utility, will be permitted to go to the Bahamas next week on a family vacation. That has some wondering.
Former JEA Chief Executive Officer Aaron Zahn and former JEA Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher will appear before a federal judge Tuesday afternoon on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Former Chief Executive Officer of JEA, Aaron Zahn, and former Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Wannemacher, were indicted by a grand jury for two counts each of conspiracy and wire fraud.
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On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the city-owned utility released a statement announcing that Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer Ted Hobson is retiring after 46 years of service. Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher was fired one week later. And Sherry Hall, JEA’s vice president and chief governmental affairs officer, gave her notice around the same time. As chief compliance officer for the past eight years, Hobson has overseen the utility’s compliance and regulatory programs, audit services, physical security, emergency planning and risk management. “Ted’s impact will remain with JEA for years to come and he will be missed,” the JEA statement said.
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher no longer works for the city-owned utility, JEA confirmed to News4Jax on Friday. The JEA Board of Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday to end the process of finding potential suitors to purchase JEA. It wasn’t immediately clear if Wannemacher resigned or if he was terminated. He previously worked as the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at JEA. Several City Council members are calling for a grand jury investigation of JEA -- on top of an investigation started by the State Attorney’s Office.
