A former AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes finance supervisor has been arrested after allegedly amassing greater than $100,000 in offers for autos he by no means produced.
Carlos Ravelo, 51, was charged with one depend of an organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or extra; two counts of second-degree grand theft; one depend of organized fraud of $50,000 or extra; eight counts of third-degree grand theft; one depend of theft from the aged; and 4 counts of writing a nugatory examine, in accordance with the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Division.
Miami-Dade Police Division stories include a number of situations of shoppers reporting that they had purchased autos for money from Ravelo however by no means acquired the fashions or a full refund.
AutoNation Honda normal supervisor Armando Ibanez stated the dealership has been investigating buyer complaints as effectively, in accordance with police.
Ibanez “made it clear that [Ravelo] was promoting autos that belong to [the] Honda dealership, as in the event that they had been his personal autos,” police wrote in a single report.
A staffer on the Florida dealership on Friday stated Ravelo now not labored there; police stories recommend Ravelo was suspended and later fired. AutoNation has not but responded to a request for remark or affirmation of his employment standing. Telephone and electronic mail messages for Ravelo haven’t but been returned, nor have electronic mail messages to his attorneys.
Ravelo has entered pleas of not responsible to lots of the expenses; pleas haven’t but been recorded in others.
Among the many accounts taken by police:
Luis Quiñones informed 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 accordance with a police report. Quiñones stated he by no means acquired any of them, however Ravelo solely returned $45,000.
Elio Instances informed police he met Ravelo at AutoNation Honda in November 2022 after Ravelo contacted him a couple of automobile deal. Inside Ravelo’s AutoNation Honda workplace, Ravelo stated a 2019 Honda Civic was accessible for $9,000, however the buyer “may solely buy the automobile money, by means of him since he was the ‘monetary supervisor’ on the dealership.” Instances “acknowledged that he was beneath the impression that the deal was a reliable transaction as a result of it was performed within the workplace of the topic who was the supervisor of AutoNation Honda,” police wrote.
After amassing the cash, Ravelo stated the automobile was within the store, however he would name when it was prepared. Later, Ravelo stated the deal had fallen by means of and gave Instances a refund — however Instances claimed the examine bounced, in accordance with police.
“Sufferer acknowledged that the AutoNation employees informed him to file a police report as a result of the suspect has performed the identical crime to different clients,” police wrote.
Yuliety Borges informed police she trusted AutoNation Honda after shopping for a earlier automobile there. She additionally knew Ravelo, who had attended college together with her mother-in-law.
Borges stated Ravelo informed her he may get her a deal on a automobile, however provided that she paid money, in accordance with police. She informed police she paid Ravelo $30,000 and a second, closing installment of $32,000, however she by no means acquired the automobile, and Ravelo give up taking her calls. When she went to the dealership, she discovered Ravelo had been suspended due to complaints like hers, police stated.