A South Florida man is facing multiple criminal charges related to apartment contract fraud in Miami, as per reports by local law enforcement. Yesterday, Stefano Charitable, 34, was arrested and charged with an organized scheme to defraud and grand theft of the 3rd degree, authorities detailed. The arrest follows allegations of Charitable consistently listing apartments for rent that he neither owned nor had authority over, then proceeding to collect deposits from prospective renters. According to NBC Miami, his modus operandi was to delay the move-in date repeatedly before severing contact with the victims entirely.
The alleged scam affected several individuals, with Charitable accused of pilfering sums ranging from $1,000 to $2,700 in a series of fraudulent transactions across various dates. As reported by NBC Miami, the fraudulent activities took place at different addresses in Miami, from July to January of the current year.
One case, specifically mentioned by Local 10, involved a victim who responded to a Facebook Marketplace ad for a unit at the Fortune House Hotel. After transferring $2,700 to a specified account, the victim discovered upon the supposed move-in date that Charitable did not own the apartment. Instead of rectifying the situation, Charitable failed to return the funds as promised, leading to his identification by the victim in a photo lineup and subsequent arrest.
Charitable's scheme has left a trail of troubling questions regarding the safety and reliability of online rental markets. As of the latest update, Charitable is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $20,000 bond.
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