Convicted of fraud last year, he has not paid restitution and court costs while on probation.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published October 27, 2004
CLEARWATER - Developer Albert N. Justice avoided prison time last fall by agreeing to pay $150,000 in restitution in a fraud case. A judge sentenced Justice to 10 years of probation and gave the prominent Clearwater businessman until June 15 to pay the full amount.
But according to court records, Justice did not pay. The 66-year-old was arrested Tuesday morning on a probation violation charge. He was being held at the Pinellas County Jail without bail and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Justice has been considered one of Pinellas County's leading business figures. He has led one of the state's largest office-leasing firms and has been chairman of the Pinellas Committee of 100.
In the 1980s, his company, the Justice Corp., had a statewide profile, with revenues of $21-million in 1982, ranking it 139th among privately owned companies in Florida. He sat on the boards of banks and the Florida Council on Economic Education. He also had been a director of the National Association of Realtors.
In recent years, one of Justice's more noted projects was the stylish IMR Global complex developed in downtown Clearwater. IMR was bought by CGI Group of Montreal in 2001.
In 2002, Justice was managing a shopping center in Apopka when he began submitting false and altered repair bills for the property. The owners of the property wired the money to Justice in Pinellas County.
Justice admitted to the offense after his arrest in August 2002, records state. Prosecutors said at the time of the fraud there were health problems in his family that drained his assets.
Justice pleaded no contest in August 2003 to a single count of scheming to defraud. To avoid prison, Justice immediately paid the property owners $30,000 in restitution and agreed to pay $120,000 more by summer 2004. He also agreed to pay $760 in court costs.
But a warrant was issued for his arrest after neither the court costs nor the $120,000 were paid, records show.
