NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A former homeowners association president has been arrested for allegedly misusing more than $15,000 in HOA funds, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Roberto Montalvo Jr., 64, was taken into custody on Wednesday following an investigation by the agency’s Organized Crime Bureau and Real Estate Fraud Squad.
Detectives said Montalvo used $3,150 in HOA funds to pay for plumbing work at his sister’s unit in August 2022 and had a plumber cash additional checks totaling $12,400 and give him the cash back. The alleged misuse of funds occurred at a property located at 20311 NE 2nd Ave.
“HOA presidents are entrusted to serve their communities with honesty and integrity,” said Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz in a press release. “When that trust is broken, we will always hold individuals accountable.”
MDSO Sgt. Carlos Luffi, who works in the Economic Crime Bureau, said the department is putting all HOA presidents on notice.
“Don’t do it. Don’t do it, because we’ll find out,” he said.
He said the sheriff’s office is investigating cases similar to Montalvo’s across the county.
“This is something big. This is something the sheriff is very concerned with, and this is something that we are investigating on a daily basis,” said Luffi.
Condo resident John Francis told 7News that Montalvo is exactly where he needs to be.
“If he’s that way, he has to go to jail,” he said.
Montalvo is facing charges related to grand theft and HOA fraud.
While he didn’t appear in court on Wednesday, a judge gave him a bond of $2,500.
As of Wednesday evening, he remains behind bars.
But it isn’t the first time Miami-Dade has been in the news with homeowners association fraud.
Sixty-two-year-old Gregori Arzumanov, the former HOA president of Turnberry on the Green in Aventura, is also awaiting trial. He was arrested last year after allegedly taking $1.5 million from the homeowners association.
Luffi advised residents to ask questions and contact law enforcement if they believe their HOA leaders are up to no good.
Click here to report suspected HOA fraud.
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