A man who is accused of defrauding at least 11 people out of a total of $179,800 in cash has been apprehended by law enforcement agents in Miami.
The 51-year-old suspect, Carlos Ravelo, is suspected of using his employment in the finance department of a Honda dealership as a cover for his involvement in the organization of the crimes.
It appears that different variations of the same con were used multiple times. A victim named Olga Tellez informed the local news station NBC6 Miami that she went to the AutoNation Honda store in Miami Lakes in December 2022 with the intention of purchasing a vehicle from there.
Tellez stated that Ravelo, who worked there at the time, made an offer to sell her and her husband a 2019 Honda CR-V for the price of $12,000, but only if they paid cash for the vehicle. That is a tremendous discount compared to the market value of the crossover and a fantastic offer.
“He let us ride in the car, he gave me the VIN, and the receipt, making it seem like everything was legit,” she told the site at the time.
The couple went to the bank, withdrew the money, paid for the CR-V, and then went back to the dealership the next day to pick it up as directed, but they were informed that it wasn’t available. Tellez’s car was never delivered to her, and she is not the only one in this situation.
Another buyer reportedly sent Ravelo $32,000 in cash in two installments to pay for an unidentified vehicle, but they were unable to pick it up as planned. This information was reported by the local daily the Miami Herald. “gave her an excuse as to why she couldn’t take the vehicle on the day of the final payment,” Ravelo explained to her.
According to a complaint filed by the victim, “after a few weeks, [he] stopped picking up the victim’s phone calls, and the victim demanded that she be given her money back.” It was explained to her that he was no longer employed in the car business.
Ravelo allegedly stole $179,800 in cash from the business. According to the police, one of the customers gave him cash totaling $50,000.
Some of the victims knew him or had ties to him and his family, which made it simple to set up the scam. Other victims were given a personal check to hold them over while they awaited delivery of their next vehicle. When the check was deposited, it was returned unpaid.
On May 1, law enforcement officials took Ravelo into custody and sent him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he is currently being held pending his upcoming trial.
According to the Herald, he is charged with one count of organized scheme to defraud, eight counts of grand theft in the third degree, two counts of grand theft in the second degree from $20,000 to $100,000, four counts of giving worthless checks, one count of stealing from an elderly person in the range of $10,000 to $50,000, and one count of giving worthless checks.
His bail is set at $45,000, but he needs to show that the money comes from legal sources before the court can release him.
