MIAMI – A surveillance video helped police officers uncover a fraud scheme that involved at least four people in Miami-Dade County, according to police.
Police officers arrested Lyre Cruz, Frank Marques, and Roman Alvarez on Tuesday morning and detectives reported they were working to identify and arrest their accomplices.
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Police officers reported the surveillance video evidence showed a trio lying through their teeth after a two-vehicle crash on Monday in the University Park area.
A 2019 Chevy Tahoe owned by Marques and a 2022 GMC Sierra Denali owned by Cruz crashed shortly before 10:15 p.m., Monday, at Southwest 108 Avenue and 38 Street.
According to police, the video shows it was a setup: Marques, 33, and Alvarez, 60, both passengers of the Tahoe, got out, and Cruz, 40, parked the Sierra Denali at the intersection and got out.
The action-movie-like theatrics followed when the unidentified driver of the Tahoe plowed into the unoccupied Sierra — flipping it on its side, according to the police report.
While Marques called 911 to say he was driving eastbound on 38 Street when he ran a stop sign and crashed, Cruz reported that he was in the Sierra Denali traveling southbound on 108 Avenue when the Tahoe came out of nowhere and hit him, according to police.
Alvarez said he was a passenger in the Sierra Denali, and corroborated the reports by Cruz and Marques, according to police. Confronted with the evidence, police officers reported Marques confessed.
A detective wrote the fraudsters’ goal was to “create documentation of a motor vehicle crash that was preplanned for the purpose of making a motor vehicle tort claim ... to be used for personal injury protection benefits through their motor vehicle insurance.”
Marques, Cruz, and Alvarez were facing charges of staged accident insurance fraud, a second-degree felony; and false report of crime to law enforcement authority, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.