Walton property developer arrested, charged with fraud, money laundering

WALTON COUNTY, Fla — The owner of a Walton County construction company has been charged with fraud and money laundering and is now facing felony charges, according to a press release issued by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office  (WCSO) today.

In December 2021, Walton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a victim who was in the process of having a home built in Inlet Beach. The victim had been contacted by a local business who advised him his property developer was defrauding him, the WCSO said.

The initial investigation found the victim hired Nicholas Henderson, 43, owner of Henderson Construction based out of Rosemary Beach in Walton County.

During the home-building process, investigators found Henderson Construction fraudulently altered invoices multiple times in 2021 and 2022 where he artificially inflated prices for products and services. In some cases, charging the victim for services and products not provided, the WCSO said.

In the process, Henderson combined his illicit financial gains with legitimate business assets and by doing so, illegally laundered money, according to the report.

Henderson is accused of stealing and laundering in excess of $75,000 from the victim.

He is charged with organized fraud greater than $50,000, money laundering greater than $20,000 less than $100,000, two counts of forgery, and two counts of submitting a false invoice.

Henderson was arrested and released on March 9 with a $30,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 23^.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone who believes they may be a victim of Henderson Construction to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

The WCSO reports an increase in local financial crimes and is encouraging residents to perform due diligence on those they hire, prioritize auditing all transactions and pay close attention to any electronic monetary transfers.

In addition, it’s also a good practice to obtain itemized invoices and verify they are not duplicated, the WCSO said.

This investigation was conducted by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau by an investigator specializing in white-collar crime and certified as a financial crime investigator.