A former AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes finance supervisor has been arrested after allegedly accumulating greater than $100,000 in offers for autos he by no means produced.
Carlos Ravelo, 51, was charged with one rely of an organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or extra; two counts of second-degree grand theft; one rely of organized fraud of $50,000 or extra; eight counts of third-degree grand theft; one rely of theft from the aged; and 4 counts of writing a nugatory test, in response to the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.
Miami-Dade Police Department studies include a number of cases of shoppers reporting they’d purchased autos for money from Ravelo however by no means acquired the fashions or a full refund.
AutoNation Honda basic supervisor Armando Ibanez mentioned the dealership has been investigating buyer complaints as nicely, in response to police.
Ibanez “made it clear that [Ravelo] was selling vehicles that belong to [the] Honda dealership, as if they were his private vehicles,” police wrote in a single report.
A staffer on the Florida dealership on Friday mentioned Ravelo not labored there; police studies recommend Ravelo was suspended and later fired. AutoNation has not but responded to a request for remark or affirmation of his employment standing. Phone and e mail messages for Ravelo haven’t but been returned, nor have e mail messages to his attorneys.
Ravelo has entered pleas of not responsible to most of the expenses; pleas haven’t but been recorded in others.
Among the accounts taken by police:
Luis Quiñones instructed authorities he purchased what he thought was a number of AutoNation Honda autos in November 2022 for a mixed $50,000 in money from Ravelo, in response to a police report. Quiñones mentioned he by no means acquired any of them, however Ravelo solely returned $45,000.
Elio Cases instructed police he met Ravelo at AutoNation Honda in November 2022 after Ravelo contacted him a few car deal. Inside Ravelo’s AutoNation Honda workplace, Ravelo mentioned a 2019 Honda Civic was obtainable for $9,000, however the buyer “could only purchase the vehicle cash, through him since he was the ‘financial manager’ at the dealership.” Cases “stated that he was under the impression that the deal was a legitimate transaction because it was done in the office of the subject who was the manager of AutoNation Honda,” police wrote.
After accumulating the cash, Ravelo mentioned the car was within the store, however he would name when it was prepared. Later, Ravelo mentioned the deal had fallen by way of and gave Cases a refund — however Cases claimed the test bounced, in response to police.
“Victim stated that the AutoNation staff told him to file a police report because the suspect has done the same crime to other customers,” police wrote.
Yuliety Borges instructed police she trusted AutoNation Honda after shopping for a earlier car there. She additionally knew Ravelo, who had attended college along with her mother-in-law.
Borges mentioned Ravelo instructed her he may get her a deal on a car, however provided that she paid money, in response to police. She instructed police she paid Ravelo $30,000 and a second, closing installment of $32,000, however she by no means acquired the car, and Ravelo stop taking her calls. When she went to the dealership, she discovered Ravelo had been suspended due to complaints like hers, police mentioned.
Source: www.autonews.com