FBI Raids Universal Healthcare's Downtown Offices

The FBI raided the Central Avenue offices of Universal Healthcare Thursday, ordering employees to leave and evacuating the entire building at 8 a.m., according to several media reports.

As the FBI cleared out the building, at 100 Central Ave., the media swarmed outside to interview workers as they left. (See the photo that Bay News 9 tweeted.)

The raid on March 28 follows an announcement that 800 employees of the troubled insurance company would be laid off from their jobs by Friday, March 29.

Universal also has offices in Spring Hill and in Mississippi, but St. Petersburg is its headquarters.

According to Bay News 9: "The company is in receivership and will be liquidated by the Department of Financial Services by the end of the month."

The company is under state investigation, accused of money mismanagement and diversion of funds.

The state is working to help transition Universal's 140,000 policy holders into alternative health care plans by April 1.

Universal Healthcare's principal is Dr. Akshay Desai, a Snell Isle resident who has been a major donor to, and active in, the state Republican Party. He has not commented on the investigations, according to news reports.

For more coverage

800 Universal Health Care Workers to Lose Jobs

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