CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Big Storm Brewing has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, or reorganization, as legal troubles persist for owner Leo Govoni.
The Pinellas County businessman is accused of siphoning funds from the now-bankrupt nonprofit, the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration, and was found liable for more than $120 million in missing money.
A judge recently seized control of Big Storm Brewing and more than 100 other businesses that Govoni owns.
According to NBC affiliate WESH, a local physician, Dr. David Wenk, said he invested $3 million in the brewery in 2021 but claimed he did not receive any financial documentation until a month ago.
After reviewing the documents, Wenk told reporters he found checks showing a transfer of more than $4.1 million from the Center for Special Needs Trust into Big Storm’s account, triggering a broader lawsuit against the center and its founder by Florida’s attorney general.
Several Big Storm locations, including Cape Coral, Odessa and now Ybor City, have shut down in the past year due to unpaid rent. Lawsuits have ensued from landlords, with damages totaling nearly $2 million.
