MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A suspect in the Hammocks Homeowners Association fraud case appeared in court before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Friday in Miami-Dade County.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced Thursday the arrest of Ivan Dario Diez for being behind one of the many shell companies used to defraud the HOA.
Investigators accused Diez, 58, of posing as a service provider to bill the Hammocks HOA for undone work. Diez is related to HOA members who investigators said approved the payments.
“He billed for cleaning up after a hurricane,” Fernandez Rundle said. “There was no hurricane.”
Fernandez Rundle reported that about $6 million in misappropriated HOA funds have been recovered. Diez is the seventh suspect arrested in the fraud case first estimated at over $2 million. The arrests started in 2022.
The HOA collects fees from nearly 6,500 single-family houses, apartments, and townhouses between Southwest 120 and 88 Streets and 147 and 162 Avenues.
Fernandez Rundle said Diez received about $172,000 from the HOA from June 15, 2022, to Nov. 9, 2022.
The six other suspects are two former HOA presidents, Marglli Gallego, also a former treasurer, and Monica Ghilardi; Myriam Rodgers, a former director; Yoleidis Lopez, a former vice president; Jose Antonio Gonzalez, Gallego’s husband; and Kevin Alzate, Gallego’s cousin.
Fernandez Rundle announced that two of the seven, Ghilardi and Rodgers, had accepted plea deals and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Ghilardi pleaded guilty to grand theft and perjury charges, and she agreed to serve a year and a day in prison, 2-year probation, and over $291,000 in restitution. Rodgers pleaded guilty to grand theft, and she agreed to serve five years of probation and pay $1,700 in restitution.
“We are going to continue this investigation,” Fernandez Rundle said. “It has been a methodical, dedicated commitment to those homeowners to hold those accountable for putting them through so much angst and stealing from them.”
Diez is facing five felony charges: Grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, fabricating physical evidence, false entries in books of business entity, and perjury.
Glazer set his bond at $40,000, and she ordered him to surrender her passport. Diez will have to wait in jail for a hearing to prove that the funds used to pay his bond are not related to crimes. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Lody Jean is presiding over the case.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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