MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A man and a woman were arrested Wednesday by Miami Beach police on accusations that they took more than $600,000 from a victim for “high-end, authentic Italian millwork” to be completed at his home, but instead used the money to pay off their debts.
Krystyna Maistrenko, 25, whose arrest report states is from Russia but currently lives in Sunny Isles Beach, and William Richmond, 51, face charges of organized scheme to defraud and grand theft of more than $100,000.
According to Maistrenko’s arrest report, she and Richmond represented themselves as the owners of Elite Home Miami LLC, which is located at 14005 Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami Beach.
Richmond, however, identified himself to the victim as Vladimir Maistrenko, police said.
Miami Beach police said the victim met with the suspects in 2023 to discuss contracting their services for the provision and installation of Italian millwork.
According to police, the suspects told the victim they needed to get the necessary materials from European vendors, which were experiencing high demand and would require “substantial advance payments” to confirm a production date.
The arrest report states that the suspects also offered a 3% discount if the victim paid the total project cost in full.
According to the report, the victim made multiple wire transfers to the suspects as follows:
- $515,000 on Oct. 25, 2023
- $77,350 on Nov. 16, 2023
- $61,302 on Dec. 21, 2023
The total amount sent was about $653,652, police said.
According to the arrest report, the delivery date for the materials was scheduled for some time between Feb. 18, 2024 and May 17, 2024, with the installation to be completed by June 2024.
Those dates were not met and on Oct. 17, 2024, the victim received an additional invoice for $99,370, which he refused to pay, authorities said.
Police said the victim filed a report about the alleged fraud with the Miami Beach Police Department on Oct. 30, 2024.
According to the arrest report, detectives discovered that the victim’s money had been used by the suspects to pay off personal debts, loans and credit card obligations, including over $253,000 for the repayment of a defaulted mortgage loan belonging to Maistrenko.
Some of the money was also used for other foreclosure-related expenses and legal fees, police said.
According to the report, the suspects were both located Wednesday in North Miami Beach and were taken into custody.
As of Thursday, they were both being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Richmond was being held on a $75,000 bond and was ordered to surrender his passport. Maistrenko, meanwhile was being held on a $50,000 bond.
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