MIAMI – A Miami-Dade County couple is accused of bilking $60,000 out of at least one Florida investor in an alleged gold-mining investment scheme based in Colorado.
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation on Thursday announced the arrests of Odalys Cordero-Romero and Richard Steiner.
Recommended Videos
Investigators said Cordero-Romero and Steiner solicited investments from at least one Florida resident in July 2010 to fund a purported gold-mining operation in Delta County, Colorado.
Authorities allege that Cordero-Romero and Steiner convinced the victim to invest in the project, promising a return of $1 million in profit by September 2010. The investor wired $60,000 to a bank account controlled by Steiner, but rather than use the money for the development of a gold-mining operation or the leasing of mining equipment, the couple spent the money on personal expenses, investigators said.
"The fraudsters allegedly falsified information about their involvement in a lucrative gold-mining operation, which caused at least one Floridian to lose his hard-earned savings," Florida Office of Financial Regulation Commissioner Drew J. Breakspear said in a statement. "The Florida Office of Financial Regulation will continue to fight fraud and seek justice for those impacted by these crimes."
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10