Miami Sheriff Says ‘Brazen’ Criminal Ring Scammed HOAs out of $5.8 Million

Miami law enforcement officials have brought charges against an alleged criminal ring that is accused of scamming $5.8 million from condominium and homeowner’s associations throughout Miami-Dade County.After a two-year investigation dubbed "Operation Sundown," the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrested Juan Awais, 60, and five associates, on charges of racketeering, money laundering, organized fraud, grand theft, and solicitation of kickbacks.Officials say the group tricked elderly, mostly Spanish-speaking HOA board members into signing documents they didn’t fully understand, giving Awais control of association finances. In a press conference earlier this week, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said Awais used his "cultural connections" to various board members, speaking to them in Spanish to build their trust."He built a network designed to create opportunities to extract money from the associations he was supposed to serve. Legitimate contracts and legitimate works were allegedly used as part of a larger system for extracting money from homeowners,” said Cordero-Stutz continued, calling the group a “brazen criminal organization."According to the sheriff, the group was hired by...