Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office North Lauderdale District arrested two men for defrauding a business and its customers of more than $643,162 in a used car scam.
According to investigators, two former Z Motors employees William Tyler and Walfredo Misas Cruz engaged in a systematic, organized scheme that allowed them to fraudulently steal 24 vehicles from the North Lauderdale business and sell those vehicles to various individuals and wholesalers at a cost of $347,774. The pair also defrauded 166 of the business’ customers of close to $300,000 in cash via money transfer apps.
The customers thought their down payments and monthly vehicle payments were being received by the business, but they were allegedly going to Tyler and Misas Cruz. It is alleged Tyler received approximately $168,510 from customers using the financial transfer apps, while Misas Cruz accepted roughly $126,878.
North Lauderdale detectives said they began investigating the duo in July 2022 after the business reported unethical activities involving the two suspects. Through their investigation, detectives learned the pair falsely brokered deals using the company’s information and the scam took place between November 2018 and July 2022.
On Wednesday, September 7, Tyler, and Misas Cruz were arrested and taken to BSO Main Jail. Both are facing 24 counts of grand theft auto, one count of grand theft in the first degree and one count of obtaining property over $50,000 by fraud. Tyler faces an additional charge of impersonating/using the identification of another without consent.
Online Broward County court records list no attorney for Tyler and Robert Malove for Misas Cruz. According to attorney Malove “Mr. Misas Cruz did not know, nor should he have known that he was being used by his superiors to help them carry out their criminal enterprise. He said Mr. Misas Cruz is very much looking forward to clearing his good name and having his day in court.
The investigation continues.
