St. Pete special needs trust fund founder accused of taking $100M becomes target of lawsuit: Court records
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The man accused of taking $100 million from the special needs trust fund company he founded in St. Petersburg is now the target of a class action lawsuit, newly released court documents show.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Todd and Kelli Chamberlin in Palm Beach County, aims to recover the missing money for the families who were impacted by the alleged misappropriation of funds. It names the trust's founder, Leo Govoni; his company, Boston Finance Group; and several other people and businesses as defendants.
"Some of the most vulnerable people in our society have now had their money misappropriated, taken, however you want to phrase that," said Jonathan Streisfeld, the attorney handling the class action lawsuit. "It's super important that the judicial system come through for them and that we find a way to recover as much money as possible, if not all of the money."
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According to court documents, the Chamberlins' twin sons, Clark and Sawyer, had a common birth infection, called Group B Strep. The family's attorney, Thomas Leeder, has said Clark was improperly treated, leading to several complications, including meningitis, and eventually cerebral palsy.
The family sued and, in 2011, reached a $1.5 million settlement. The agreement directed hundreds of thousands of dollars into the care of the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration in St. Petersburg across a 40-year period.
This month, however, the family learned the Center is accusing Govoni of taking $100 million in unapproved loans for 11 years, with no intention of paying them back. The Center filed for bankruptcy and indicated more than 1,500 clients' accounts were compromised, with many of them either partially or entirely drained of their funds, including Clark's.
"They learned about this right around Valentine's Day, and they were absolutely devastated," said Leeder. "Clark is very special. Having spent time with him and gotten to know him and been around him, he has a presence and aura."
The Center for Special Needs Trust Administration in St. Petersburg.
Leeder told FOX 13 that the money in the trust fund for Clark, who is now 15 years old, should have been used for medical equipment, treatments and transportation.
"[I was] devastated the first day," Leeder said, regarding when he found out about the accusations. "[I] brushed it off the set the second day and figured out what the right course of action was, so that we can make sure that Clark and his family, get the money back so that Clark can continue to live the lifestyle that he deserves to live."
The Chamberins' attorneys told FOX 13 that more than a dozen families have reached out about joining the lawsuit.
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Govoni, meanwhile, has not responded to recent requests for comment, including a text and email on Wednesday. In a previous statement to FOX 13, he wrote, "I dispute the allegations and characterizations in the filings of the Center as to the mishandling of any of the Center’s funds. I look forward to resolving this issue through the bankruptcy process or otherwise."
Govoni's business roots run deep in Pinellas County, with about 50 current and former companies listed under his name, according to state records. The Center's bankruptcy filing claims Govoni placed several of his businesses in charge of the trust's finances and accounting, helping him to hide the loans.
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