TAMPA, FLORIDA — A Spring Hill, Florida man is facing federal charges after allegedly orchestrating multiple schemes to defraud wholesale produce companies out of more than $600,000 worth of vegetables and transportation costs, including diverting shipments of onions and potatoes and submitting falsified payment documents.

On March 10, 2026, Jason Canals, 39, of Spring Hill, was arrested and charged with eight counts of interstate transport of stolen property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

According to the indictment, Canals carried out two separate fraud schemes targeting wholesale produce companies. In the first, Canals allegedly used a company's name and email signature block without permission to communicate with victim companies and request produce shipments. While the shipments were en route, Canals diverted them to a new location and never paid the victim companies. In the second scheme, Canals allegedly provided victim companies with falsified documents making them believe he had prepaid for the produce when no such payment was ever made. Combined, the schemes resulted in losses of over $600,000 to the victim companies, including the cost of the produce and its transportation.

The indictment also notifies Canals that the United States intends to forfeit proceeds traceable to the offenses. If convicted on all counts, Canals faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.