Miami Real Estate Agent Indicted on PPP Fraud Charges

A picture illustration of Miami genuine estate agent Daniela Rendon (Getty, LinkedIn/Daniela Rendon, United States District Court docket)

A Miami actual estate agent was billed with fraud and income laundering joined to $381,000 in Covid-19 aid cash that she allegedly made use of to fork out for a Bentley, beauty strategies and a luxury condominium rental.

Daniela Rendon, who hangs her license with Prestige Empire Realty, has been energetic in Sunny Isles Seashore, publishing on social media about or operating on tasks that contain Estates at Acqualina and Mansions at Acqualina, and Bentley Residences. She was also component of the 57 Ocean income team in Miami Seaside. Rendon’s bargains consist of the $35,500 regular monthly rental of a device at Mansions at Acqualina, according to a Traded write-up from 2021.

Rendon allegedly submitted fraudulent programs for Covid-19 federal aid money to the Small Business enterprise Administration and Paycheck Defense Method by falsifying her profits, payroll and IRS tax varieties, in accordance to a push release and the criticism from the United States Attorney’s Business Southern District of Florida.

She allegedly utilised the income to lease a 2021 Bentley Bentayga, which she highlighted on her Instagram account. She has a lot more than 33,000 followers on the social media system, wherever she posts about her deluxe life style. This year’s model of the Bentley SUV expenditures upwards of $3,000 a thirty day period to lease, dependent on the length of the lease and mileage, in accordance to car or truck dealers’ web sites.

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She also allegedly used the funds for her Biscayne Bay apartment rental, dermatology techniques and to refinish her designer footwear.

Rendon was indicted on two counts of cash laundering, seven counts of wire fraud and 1 rely of aggravated identification theft, courtroom documents present. If she’s convicted, she could deal with up to 20 a long time in jail.

The alleged fraud took position amongst April 2020 and April 2022, in accordance to the complaint well prepared by U.S. Legal professional Markenzy Lapointe and Assistant U.S. Legal professional Jonathan Bailyn.

Rendon, via corporations called Rendon PA and Rendon Holdings, allegedly submitted pretend info relating to the range of workers, regular payroll, gross earnings and price of products offered to receive two financial loans: a $317,290 PPP loan and a $10,000 SBA loan. She enrolled in ADP to funnel the dollars to her companies, friends and loved ones, in accordance to the complaint.

That included two wire transfers in 2020 and 2021 to Miami ENT LLC for just about $75,000, combined. The enterprise is managed by Andre Lorquet, who the U.S. Attorney’s Place of work Southern District of Florida indicted on very similar expenses previous year for allegedly submitting fraudulent programs trying to get virtually $5 million in pandemic reduction funds.

South Florida, frequently referred to as the country’s fraud capital, has observed its honest share of PPP-associated fraud cases, with a lot of of the alleged perpetrators applying the federal money to invest in luxurious autos, houses and other dear products.

Previous summer, Bal Harbour-centered developer Eric Sheppard was indicted on a felony count of wire fraud for allegedly submitting “false and fraudulent” apps to get hold of Covid-19 monetary assistance financial loans on behalf of six companies he managed in four states, like three based mostly in Bal Harbour. The federal government alleged he stole neatly $900,000 in PPP cash.