MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A man and a woman accused of selling counterfeit high-end watches in a scheme that defrauded a victim of more than $70,000 have been extradited to Miami-Dade County, authorities confirmed.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Jonathan Paolo Parra, 37, and Paula Zapata-Sanchez, 33, were arrested last week in Cape Coral.
Detectives with the agency’s organized crime bureau allege that the pair misrepresented luxury watches as authentic, including one that was sold as new but was more than 10 years old.
According to authorities, the victim became suspicious after water got inside one of the watches. A certified jeweler later confirmed the timepieces were fake.
When the victim tried to confront Parra and Zapata-Sanchez, investigators said the two cut off contact and blocked the victim on social media.
Authorities said a search warrant was executed at the suspects’ home in Cape Coral, where they were taken into custody with assistance from local police.
Detectives believe there may be additional victims, citing the couple’s long-standing involvement in the jewelry business.
“At the end of the day, the victim was defrauded -- spent $70,000 and got nothing but fake watches,” a detective said.
As of Thursday morning, the duo were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, each on a $100,000 bond.
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