Subject of numerous Better Call Behnken investigations arrested for leasing property he didn’t own

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Pinellas County businessman has been arrested and charged with two felonies.

Ronnie Pownall has been the subject of multiple Better Call Behnken investigations, dating back to 2016.

Days before Christmas, detectives with the Burglary and Pawn Unit for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested 46-year-old Pownall after they say he posed as the owner of property in unincorporated St. Pete and “leased” that property to a nursery business.

In August, an investigation began after the sheriff’s office said it learned Pownall fraudulently leased property on 38th Avenue North. Detectives said the nursery business paid Pownall around $62,000 over an 18-month period, during which time Pownall created a fake five-year- contract.

During interviews, detectives say Pownall said he created the false contract and stole money from the nursery, but would not say what he used the money for.

Detectives also said Pownall operated a lawn and tree trimming business, called “Tree Ninjas Tree Service,” and failed to have a workers compensation policy filed under his LLC from June 2022 through September 2023.

Pownall is facing one count of scheme to defraud and one count of failure to obtain workers comp. He bonded out of the Pinellas County Jail.

Pownall has been the subject of several Better Call Behnken investigations in recent years.

In 2016, consumers complained he sold motorcycles on consignment and didn’t pay the owner or fork over titles. One customer turned in his Hummer as part of a consignment deal, and Behnken found him driving it around for personal use, with the wrong license plate.

That same year, Behnken found him renting out a home in foreclosure to a family who then got kicked out by the bank. Back then, every time Behnken found him, he ran away without answering questions.

Pownall was arrested in 2017 by the Pinellas Park Police Department and charged with dealing in stolen property, title fraud, scheme to defraud and grand theft. One charge was lowered to a misdemeanor in 2018 the other charges were dropped by the state attorney’s office.