Miami-Dade detectives say they have cracked an auto-loan fraud ring that lined up more than $1.5 million in bogus loan approvals, arresting two alleged key players and identifying more than a dozen so-called straw buyers in the process. Investigators say the operation leaned on brokers, cooperative dealership finance managers and a pattern of re-titling and shuttling vehicles to other states or ports. The setup, they warn, leaves nominal buyers holding the bag for loans, tolls and insurance claims while the cars and cash disappear somewhere else.
Detectives on Wednesday arrested 39-year-old Deinier Dominguez, described as a former dealership finance manager, along with broker Dagma Cecilia Reyes Jaime. Court records and arrest reports show Dominguez now faces 79 counts, including dozens of grand theft and obtaining a vehicle by trick, while Reyes Jaime is charged with 10 counts that include organized fraud, racketeering and money laundering, according to WPLG Local 10. Both were booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to arrest paperwork.
How Investigators Say The Scheme Worked
Arrest reports describe auto brokers recruiting people to pose as buyers while finance managers pushed loans that would normally be rejected in underwriting. The filings list 11 straw buyers and single out Juan Campos, an 85-year-old who detectives say bought six vehicles, including two Corvettes and a Lexus GX, in late December. Deputies allege Dominguez helped secure nearly $435,800 in approvals in connection with Campos, while another file showed prefilled loan paperwork totaling roughly $539,000, according to WPLG Local 10. “The auto broker expedites deals where straw buyers are only tasked with signing loan documents,” a deputy wrote in an arrest report obtained by reporters.
Dealerships Flagged And A Countywide Pattern
Investigators tied the alleged conduct to dealership finance desks, and state dealer records show Bomnin and HGreg operate licensed franchise and service facilities in Miami-Dade. According to the dealer registry from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, both dealer groups maintain licensed outlets in the county. The latest arrests come amid a broader crackdown in Miami-Dade on so-called credit bust-out and title-washing schemes, a pattern that followed a larger $5.5 million operation reported last fall by Hoodline.
What Straw Buyers Could Face And The Legal Stakes
Deputies say straw buyers frequently end up saddled with unpaid auto loans, traffic citations and fraudulent insurance claims in their names, even as lenders and insurers absorb much of the financial hit. According to the arrest reports, brokers typically pay would-be straw buyers an upfront sum, then move the vehicles along for resale or export, leaving the listed purchaser on the hook. The suspects now face counts that include racketeering and money laundering, and the Florida Money Laundering Act along with state racketeering provisions carry felony penalties and potential fines for similar conduct under the Florida Statutes, chapter 896 and related sections.
