Prosecutors say Thomas Jardon used fraudulent companies, leases and furniture invoices to obtain money intended for Miami-Dade homeless services.
MIAMI, FL — The housing director for Citrus Health Network has been arrested and accused of stealing more than $1.2 million in public money from the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust through schemes involving fraudulent leases and furniture purchases, authorities said.
Thomas Jardon, 42, faces charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, identity theft and engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, according to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. Prosecutors allege Jardon carried out the schemes over roughly three years while working in Citrus Health Network’s housing program, which helps people experiencing homelessness obtain housing and related services. He was booked into jail and was being held on bond of about $700,000.
Authorities said Citrus Health works with the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to place clients into housing and provide services and furnishings. The nonprofit then seeks reimbursement for qualifying expenses. Investigators allege Jardon exploited that process by creating companies he secretly controlled and using them in transactions that appeared to involve legitimate landlords, rental agencies or furniture suppliers.
In one alleged scheme, prosecutors said Jardon identified properties and created companies that purported to own or manage them. Authorities said he concealed his connection to the companies through layers of corporate entities, produced fraudulent leases and moved money through multiple accounts. Citrus Health then sought reimbursement from the Homeless Trust for rental expenses that prosecutors allege were fraudulent.
Investigators also allege Jardon operated a separate furniture scheme. Prosecutors said he established a company, generated invoices for furniture and authorized payments before Citrus Health submitted expenses to the Homeless Trust for reimbursement. Authorities said the alleged furniture scheme accounted for nearly $600,000 of the money under investigation.
The investigation followed concerns raised inside Citrus Health in 2025. Authorities said employees had complained that Jardon was neglecting his duties and failing to respond to emails. A senior accountant later discovered more than $30,000 in Apple products purchased through the nonprofit’s Amazon account, according to an arrest warrant cited by news organizations. The purchase had not been properly approved, authorities said.
Citrus Health executives eventually decided to fire Jardon in December 2025 and conducted an internal review, according to authorities. The nonprofit reported the matter to investigators after uncovering suspected financial irregularities. Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, said questions about invoicing also helped bring attention to discrepancies that were later reviewed by Citrus Health.
Prosecutors allege Jardon used money obtained through the schemes to finance expensive purchases and travel. Investigators identified two Rolex watches costing about $19,000 each, an 18-karat gold Cuban chain and 12 lithographs purchased from an art dealer in Switzerland. Authorities also cited designer clothing, airfare, hotel expenses and four vehicles, including a Jeep, a BMW and two Chevrolet Silverados. Those purchases are allegations in the criminal case and have not been established as facts at trial.
Fernandez Rundle said Citrus Health’s senior leadership, including its president and CEO, Mario Jardon, had no knowledge of or involvement in the alleged schemes. Citrus Health has reimbursed Miami-Dade County more than $1.2 million for the losses identified in the investigation, according to authorities. Fernandez Rundle described the allegations as involving the actions of a single employee rather than the nonprofit’s leadership.
Citrus Health Network was founded in 1979 and operates as a nonprofit health care provider in South Florida. The organization says it serves more than 30,000 patients annually through behavioral health, primary care and community-based programs. Its work also includes services for people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations. Miami-Dade records have previously identified Thomas Jardon as a member of the county’s Homeless Trust.
The allegations against Jardon remain pending in the criminal justice system, and the charges do not constitute a finding of guilt. Authorities had not announced a resolution of the case as of Wednesday night. Jardon remained in custody on bond following his arrest, while the investigation detailed by prosecutors focused on how public money intended for homeless services allegedly moved through the companies and transactions under scrutiny.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.