Jason Futch
Shortly after Jason Andrew Bullock was transferred into the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), victims who had anticipated receiving a substantial restitution payment were dealt another blow: a restitution check allegedly presented during his sentencing hearing will not be paid out.
Bullock was convicted of defrauding 15 individuals and a church while operating the now-defunct Apex Metal Building Systems from 2021-22. A six-person jury found Bullock guilty of organized fraud over $50,000 a week before Thanksgiving last year. He was sentenced on Monday, Feb. 2, to 14 years in prison, followed by 16 years of probation. He was ordered to pay restitution while on probation.
In an email sent to Bullock’s victims on Tuesday, Feb. 24, Assistant State Attorney Colin Klein said he had been fielding requests for information about the $250,000 Bullock’s defense attorney, Lucas Taylor, had presented to Circuit Judge Kathryn Land during the sentencing hearing. While it was originally intended to be presented as part of the defense’s sentencing proposal, Bullock told the court after being sentenced that the check could be cashed to satisfy a portion of the $474,914.50 he will owe once released on probation in November 2039.
However, Klein said it will not be the case following issues identified with the money Taylor presented to Judge Land.
“As you know, this was not a negotiated sentence or plea,” Klein wrote in the email. “If it had been negotiated, the state would have a remedy to potentially require that $250,000 to be delivered to the Department of Corrections for disbursement.”
Klein added that because it was not part of a negotiated deal, the state could not force the money to be handed over. He closed the email sharing that, regardless, Bullock would still be required to pay restitution upon his release.
The move was one that victim Charlie Adolf said was not a surprise.
“The fraud just continues,” he said. Adolf had hoped the payment would help pay off the debt he accrued during his legal ordeal with Bullock.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Adolf submitted a letter to Judge Land. In the letter, it listed ethical concerns regarding the rescinded restitution, as well as issues with Taylor, who presented the funds to Land.
The complaint states that during the sentencing hearing, Bullock’s defense team presented an envelope allegedly containing a $250,000 restitution check in “good faith,” stating on the record that the funds would be distributed to the victims immediately, regardless of the sentence imposed.
In the Wednesday, Feb. 11, edition of the Riverbend News, it was reported that Taylor presented Judge Land with an envelope that allegedly held the check. As he presented the envelope, Taylor said it was a “significant contribution” for the victims. He also emphasized that the contribution would benefit not only the victims but also Ephesus Baptist Church, which was defrauded of $70,000 by Bullock.
Riverbend News reached out to Assistant State Attorney Phillip Kelley for comment on the envelope presented to Judge Land and its contents. He did not respond by press time. Adolf said he is working with some of the other victims to see what they can do, if anything, to pursue the matter.
Meanwhile, Bullock was admitted to the FDC Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler on Thursday, Feb 19. Following the reception process, which can take several weeks, he will be sent to a correctional facility within the state that corresponds to his assigned classification level. After his incarceration, Bullock will have to serve an additional 16 years of probation, with a requirement to pay monthly restitution.