Grandfather battling cancer among dozens who say they lost money investing with well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One day after a News4JAX I-TEAM investigation into a well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur accused of fraud, more investors came forward with the same story of thousands of dollars unaccounted for.

There are dozens of other people in Jacksonville who said they’ve lost money investing in real estate and short-term rental property opportunities with Janay White who owns eight local businesses including the J White Business Center on Dunn Avenue.

Wautara and Denise Wright said they got involved by investing in a turnkey Airbnb property, but after watching the News4JAX I-TEAM investigation on Thursday night, they fear they may have lost nearly $15,000.

MORE: Investors who sank $100K into real estate, Airbnb programs accuse well-known Jacksonville entrepreneur of fraud

“I have multiple myeloma cancer, and my entire spine is cracked. I couldn’t do the things that I used to do, so we decided to invest,” Wautara Wright said.

Wautara and Denise Wright were looking for a reliable way to make passive income after a life-changing medical diagnosis.

“Signed the documents we needed to sign, gave $10,000 cash at the time,” Denise Wright said.

Contracts show the Wrights paid almost $15,000 to White this summer to invest in an Airbnb property and in various credit repair programs.

The couple said they were expecting monthly profits close to $2,000, but in six months, receipts show they only received about $1,200 in profits despite the fact that the Airbnb listing showed the property is booked until October 2025.

The Wrights learned others were in the same boat from the I-TEAM’s investigation.

“Devastated, because now I’m worrying about taking care of my grandkids and my wife, you know, providing my part of what I was supposed to,” Wautara Wright said. “I’ve never been one to take upon the system to take care of me.”

Wautara and Denise said they were never allowed to see their Airbnb investment property in person. After joining a Facebook group set up by other J White investors, they learned at least three other people have identical contracts and were sent identical profit and loss statements.

“That’s not human to take away from people that have worked for their life for this,” Wautara Wright said.

Janay White is seen in a now-deleted Facebook Live video posted last Friday, reacting to the Facebook group which grew by 3,000 members after the I-TEAM story was published on Thursday.

“You ain’t getting your money back,” White says in the video which has been viewed by News4JAX and the Wrights.

“That was our hard-earned 10-to-$15,000. And as you can see in my husband’s condition, we need that money, and you [Janay White] promised a service that you could not provide. And that’s disheartening,” Denise Wright said in reaction to watching the video.

If you have a complaint against White, you can file a report with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by calling the non-emergency line: 904-630-0500.

News4JAX asked the State Attorney’s Office if White is being investigated and a spokesman issued this statement: “As with inquiries of this nature, we can neither confirm nor deny the presence of an investigation. However, anyone who believes they are a victim should contact JSO’s Economic Crimes Unit to file a police report and maintain all their financial records and documents pertaining to their interactions with Ms. White and/or her companies.”

The I-TEAM has reached out to White for comment on this story but has not heard back, but she has previously denied any wrongdoing. Our request remains open to White to tell her side of the story.

White is connected to a total of eight companies including:

• J White Business Center

• J White Enterprises

• Luigi’s Concrete and More

• J White Marketing Inc.

• J White Construction Inc.

• J White Properties and More

• J White Institute

• Free Game By J White