A Hollywood, Florida businessman is now facing criminal charges after multiple customers say they paid thousands of dollars for flashy "jetcars" that never showed up. Court filings describe buyers wiring in more than $338,000, and prosecutors allege the vehicles, which are small, car-styled watercraft, never materialized. The defendant has pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.
Charges, Alleged Victims And The Paper Trail
According to WSVN, police charged Anwar Farrell in late December with organized fraud and seven counts of grand theft after customers reported that jetcars they paid for never arrived. Investigators say five alleged victims told them they sent the company more than $338,000 in total, and that in at least one case a buyer signed a 2021 sales agreement for a Corvette Stingray-style "jetcar."
Florida Department of State records for Florida Department of State records list Farrell as an authorized person and president of Jetcar LLC, the business tied to the disputed sales.
Civil Lawsuit, Judge’s Order And An Unpaid Loan
WSVN also reports that a New York man sued Farrell after loaning the company $120,000 to buy jet skis that were supposed to be converted into jetcars. A judge ultimately ordered Farrell and the At Risk Children Foundation to pay the lender more than $250,000, according to the station. The charitable group was named as a defendant in that civil case.
Attorney Jay Rosenquest, who represents the New York plaintiff, told WSVN that his client has not been paid and is working with Hollywood police as the criminal investigation moves forward.
What Buyers Say They Were Promised, And What These Machines Are
Jetcar-style craft are essentially jet-ski platforms with fiberglass bodies designed to look like luxury or sports cars. Sellers market them as two-seat novelty watercraft, the kind of thing you might spot skimming past a sandbar on a busy weekend. Manufacturers’ listings show some models and configurations priced well into the five-figure range, depending on options and shipping.
In at least one disputed deal, paperwork shows a buyer paid $24,900 for a Corvette-themed model, then spent months trying to straighten things out before eventually securing a refund, according to WSVN’s reporting on the case.
Legal Stakes Under Florida Law
The charges Farrell faces are not minor. Under Florida's Communications Fraud Act, a scheme to defraud can be charged as organized fraud, with the felony level tied to the total amount of money involved. At the highest levels, those offenses can reach first-degree felony status when the sums get large.
Grand theft in Florida is also graded by the value of the property taken, and convictions can bring prison time and fines depending on the degree. State statutes lay out how amounts are calculated and aggregated under organized-fraud and theft provisions, and those thresholds are front and center in a case like this.
Where The Case Stands Now
Farrell has entered a not guilty plea, and his attorney says they are still digging into the accusations. The criminal case is pending in Broward County court, and the civil judgment ordering more than $250,000 to be paid to Rosenquest’s client appears to remain unsatisfied, according to court reporting.
For now, the legal battles are playing out on land, while frustrated would-be jetcar owners are still waiting for the rides they say never touched the water.
