By John Pacenti
Gregg Brian Weiss — a well-known figure in Delray Beach’s civic, business and nonprofit sectors — is facing felony fraud charges for allegedly bilking a senior of $30,000, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Weiss, 58, was arrested following an investigation spanning more than a year and faces charges of obtaining property by deception from a person 65 or older, a second-degree felony, and engaging in fraudulent investment transactions, a third-degree felony.
He was taken into custody March 31, the same day he appeared before the City Commission to defend restaurateur Rodney Mayo and the coffee shop Subculture.
The case against Weiss began in February 2025, when the victim — a 75-year-old woman — and her son reported suspected fraud to authorities.
She said she met Weiss through a Facebook group and hired him for $900 to prepare a will.
Investigators allege Weiss identified himself as an investor with Ruby Capital Management. He told the woman he could help her accrue enough money to afford a move into a Wellington assisted living facility, according to an affidavit by Deputy William Goldstein.
In January 2025 the woman, who lives west of Boynton Beach, provided Weiss with a $30,000 check, intending to invest $15,000 each into separate certificates of deposit.
The subsequent investigation revealed significant red flags regarding Weiss’s business operations.
Records from the Florida Division of Corporations indicated that Ruby Capital Management had been administratively dissolved and was inactive as of September 2024.
Furthermore, Weiss allegedly provided the woman with “client confirmation of trade” documents for the CDs. But the woman’s existing financial firm reported no record of any such communications or transactions.
Although Weiss had been a registered investment adviser for nearly two decades, state records confirmed his registration ended in January 2023.
Detectives used subpoenas to track the woman’s $30,000 deposit and found the funds were placed into a Ruby Capital Management account that Weiss controlled.
Instead of being invested, the affidavit states, the money was shifted through various accounts and used for personal gain.
A message left for Weiss seeking comment was not returned. After his arrest, he was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on $67,000 bail.
New Delray Beach City Commissioner Judy Mollica, who is president of Friends of Delray, said Weiss served as secretary and would take minutes of any meetings. The group sent out newsletters on development and other pertinent issues to the city.
“It’s too unbelievable even to conceive,” Mollica said of Weiss’ arrest.
Bank records showed that over $14,000 of the alleged victim’s money was transferred to a personal checking account held by Weiss and another individual, with the funds being used for food, gas and personal bills, according to the affidavit.
Additionally, records from the Seminole Tribe of Florida showed Weiss gambling with a slot cash buy-in of more than $41,000 between January and May 2025, with documented losses during that period.
When the woman grew weary of the investment and requested her money back, Weiss reportedly sent her a letter claiming his business was entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
The letter informed the victim she would receive follow-up information once the firm had direction from the courts, yet a search of the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts showed no record of a bankruptcy filing for the business or for Weiss personally, the affidavit states.
Weiss, who lives west of Delray Beach, has been a visible member of the community, previously serving on boards for several nonprofits and working as a community justice planner. He is also an administrator of the Facebook group Delray Beach Community Forum.
Weiss is the second prominent Delray Beach resident arrested in the last six months. Developer Scott Porten was arrested in December on 12 counts of child pornography, according to a police report. Porten was the chair of Old School Square Center for the Arts before it was ousted by the city for failure to provide financial audits for the group.
Weiss spoke at the March 31 commission workshop reviewing whether Mayo’s coffee shop was in compliance regarding special events and parking. He said the restaurateur — who also owns DaDa in the city — was being attacked.
He gave a list of his community service before speaking in public comments: “I’ve been involved in Delray Beach over the past 30 years in many capacities, including chair of the Chamber of Commerce, chair of economic development for four years, as well as working with the city CRA on multiple committees for business purposes.”
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