Oakes Farms Files Suit Alleging $12.5 M Fraud by Ex-Executive

Oakes Farms and its affiliated entities have filed a civil lawsuit in Collier County against former executive Steven A. Veneziano Jr. and two companies he operated, accusing him of orchestrating a multiyear scheme that diverted at least $12.5 million in funds, equipment, and assets.

Key Allegations

• The complaint, filed October 31, 2025, names Veneziano, along with his LLCs Veneziano Farms LLC and Veneziano Property Management LLC, as defendants.

• Between April 2023 and December 2024 alone, the lawsuit asserts Vene­ziano diverted approximately $6.2 million from one company segment.

• Other alleged misconduct includes:

  • Charging more than $600,000 on a company credit card for personal expenses such as luxury travel, gambling, and other high-end purchases.

  • Using company funds and property to operate a cryptocurrency-mining setup.

  • Forging a company principal’s signature to acquire $3.9 million in tractors, then allegedly redirecting the proceeds of sales into personal accounts.

  • Allegedly using shell corporations to masquerade personal expenses and payroll additions (including payments to his wife and a friend) over a two-year span in excess of $250,000.

Context & Related Legal Trouble

Veneziano had been employed by Oakes Farms since 2013 and by 2020 had taken on senior roles including vice president of one subsidiary and what the complaint calls “de facto president/CEO” of parent companies. He departed in November 2024.

He also pleaded guilty earlier in 2025 to two federal counts — conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering — in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s pandemic-era food assistance program of roughly $5.18 million. Sentencing has been postponed.

Implications for the Local Business Ecosystem

• For agribusinesses and professional-service providers in the Naples/Southwest Florida region, this case underscores how critical internal controls, transparent oversight and fiduciary accountability are — especially when significant cash flows, assets and public contracts intertwine.

• Boards or owners of companies similar to Oakes Farms should consider revisiting their audit protocols, asset tracking, separation of duties and vendor-transaction oversight to guard against internal misappropriation.

• For local stakeholders (employees, vendors, creditors), such a high-profile lawsuit may send ripple effects: reputational risks, potential for reassessing vendor contracts or oversight clauses, and a reminder about the importance of corporate governance even in privately-held operations.

What’s To Follow

The lawsuit is now proceeding in Collier County’s civil courts, seeking restitution of diverted assets, full tracking of proceeds and possibly interest/fees. The criminal matter against Veneziano remains active in federal court. Depending on how both proceedings unfold, the outcome could influence how agribusiness and produce operations handle internal risk mitigation going forward.