A Miami man finds himself behind bars for swindling a Florida Keys property owner out of $35,000, tied to a home improvement job that was promised but never initiated, officials state. According to a WSVN report, 57-year-old Argelio Rivas, charged with grand theft, received payment in 2022 to carry out deck work on the victim's property, however, after cashing several checks, he failed to buy supplies or start the construction.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office detailed that Rivas, co-owner of "Treasures from Sea, LLC" was supposed to install "wave breaks" as part of the renovation plans; this according to an account by Local 10, the contractor did apply for a permit but never even picked it up—and the homeowner has been given a string of excuses relating to family, health, and other work issues for the delays. A warrant was eventually issued after the property owner's demands, delivered through a lawyer, for the return of the hefty deposit were met with silence from Rivas.
Authorities eventually caught up with Rivas and booked him into jail this past Thursday. Despite an attempted meeting between an MCSO detective and Rivas in February, his lawyer intervened, claiming the matter to be a civil dispute and instructing Rivas "not to speak" with authorities, per the arrest warrant mention in the Local 10 piece.
After spending a brief time at the MCSO's Plantation Key jail facility, Rivas was released on a $10,000 bond, having to answer for his actions in court.
