Five former and current board members on a Florida homeowners association stole $2m of residents' money, prosecutors in Miami say, and the theft, fraud and money laundering charges so far filed are not the end of it: "This case is not closed," State Attorney Fernandez Rundle said during a news conference. "These are not the end of the criminal arrests."
…current president Monica Isabel Ghilardi, 52; board member Myriam Arango Rodgers, 76; former board member Yoleidis Lopez Garcia, 47; former president Marglli Gallego, 41; and Jose Antonio Gonzalez, 45, who is Gallego's husband and accused of running two companies that were paid at least $1.26 million in HOA funds. … A significant part of the investigation centered around board members writing checks, in some cases for hundreds of thousands of dollars, to vendors for services that weren't actually being provided, prosecutors said. Then the vendors would return laundered money after keeping a portion for themselves.
The Hammock Community Association was also placed in receivership by a judge Thursday.
I need the hard drives today, seized … I need those computers … I am sending a lawyer there right now. I don't want boxes to leave," [Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beatrice] Butchko said later adding, "I need vehicle registrations for every vehicle owned by The Hammocks … Get a locksmith out there."
Looks like they got caught because they got greedy.
The association had been operating on an annual budget of about $3.7 million until this spring, when the board adopted of budget of more than $10 million, according to court documents. The new budget means residents face monthly maintenance and service fee increases of up to 400%.
