Margaret Jimenez, a Miami realtor who runs a title company in Aventura, was arrested Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Pembroke Pines after investigators said she misappropriated more than $322,000 in escrow from a home sale. Authorities allege the cash diversion left the seller unpaid and the closing unfinished, and records show Jimenez was being held on a $75,000 bond.
State business records from the Florida Division of Corporations list Jimenez as the president and registered agent of All Star Title, LLC, a title and settlement services company based in Aventura. The filings show All Star Title was formed in May 2023 and that an annual report was submitted in May 2026.
According to a probable cause affidavit reported by Pembroke Pines News, the real estate sale at the center of the case closed on Sept. 19, 2025. Investigators say Jimenez received $322,849.03 in escrow deposits that were supposed to cover taxes, mortgage payoffs, fees and the seller’s proceeds, including about $147,304 in profit. Instead, the affidavit states, the money was wired to pay an unrelated mortgage through Carrington Mortgage Services, leaving just $281.40 in the escrow account by Oct. 31, 2025. Bank records obtained through a subpoena allegedly showed the account never had enough money to cover the required payouts.
The affidavit accuses Jimenez of grand theft of more than $100,000 and of engaging in an organized scheme to defraud that involved more than $50,000. Those charges, if formally filed, would put her in the crosshairs of some of Florida’s stiffest white-collar crime statutes.
Florida has seen a run of similar real estate fraud allegations in recent years, which has put extra scrutiny on how escrow funds are handled and how much trust buyers and sellers can place in settlement services. For context, the Miami Herald reported a December 2024 case where investigators accused a realtor of forging documents and diverting clients' property, highlighting broader concerns in the industry.
Legal consequences
Under Florida law, theft of property valued at $100,000 or more is treated as grand theft in the first degree, a felony-level offense. Separately, a scheme that obtains $50,000 or more can be prosecuted as organized fraud, another felony, under provisions outlined in the Florida Senate statute on theft and the Florida Legislature text known as the Florida Communications Fraud Act.
The case remains in its early stages, and prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges and set court dates in Broward County. Court records and public filings are expected to shed more light on the allegations as the case moves forward, and we will continue to monitor those documents for updates.
