Florida Man Arrested after Failure to Pay $120,000 in Child Support

A man was arrested in Tampa last week on a federal charge that he failed to pay nearly $120,000 in child support to a woman in Maine over a period of ten years. Glen S. Caristinos, 48, of Safety Harbor has been charged with a Class E federal felony for failure to pay child support of more than $5,000, failure to pay support for a child for more than two years, failure to pay support for a child who resides in another state, and other violations.

Facts of the Case

According to the affidavit filed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the child in question being denied support was born in 1999, and in 2001 Mr. Caristinos was ordered to pay the child’s mother $248.16 per week. That amount increased and then was reduced in 2006 to $243 per week.

Despite earning as much as $282,844 per year, Mr. Caristinos has only paid $22,259 in child support since 2001. The most recent payment he made was $500 in January 2012 when a Hillsborough County judge ordered the payment or else face jail time. However, as of December 2014, Mr. Caristinos owed $119,094 in back child support.

History of Nonpayment

According to the mother of the child, they met in 1995 when he operated Soho’s bar in Old Orchard Beach. He subsequently worked at Marc Motors in Sanford and owned The Rip Tide Bar in Old Orchard Beach. The couple divorced in 2003 after Mr. Caristinos “got into trouble with drugs and guns” after opening The Rip Tide, regularly carried a pistol and threatened her several times.

She obtained restraining orders in 2005 and 2006 after he told the mother that he would “kill her and throw her body in a dumpster.” During the last decade of nonpayment, the child’s mother has only been employed sporadically, has filed for bankruptcy, and has occasionally received state benefits.

In November 2014, a court in Florida garnished Mr. Caristinos’ wages from a property management firm, resulting in a payment of $534.60. At the end of January, a U.S. District Court judge issued a warrant for his arrest, where he was taken into custody in Tampa two days later. If convicted, Mr. Caristinos faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Contact a Florida Family Law Attorney

This case illustrates the severity of punishments that a person can face for nonpayment of court ordered child support, even when the child is located out of state. If you or someone that you know has questions regarding child support in the Orlando area, let the experienced office of Steve W. Marsee, P.A. help. Call the office or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.