MIAMI — An alleged fraudster is behind bars after several victims came forward to police.
Ricardo Deuker is the businessman now under arrest and being labeled a scam artist.
“Ricardo defrauded me of $14,694,” said Steven Feltner.
Feltner is one of at least five victims who have come forward in recent months after tapping the services of Up Boats LLC, a company that, by its own claims, builds small carbon fiber boats.
But the problem came to light after some clients paid big money for the service, but their vessels were never delivered.
Feltner told the court Monday that Deuker, also known by an alias Ric Ruthenberg, suddenly became unreachable.
Police arrested the 43-year-old Deuker at the airport last week.
Records show Up Boats is run out of a warehouse in Opa-locka, where it appeared code enforcement had already paid the property a visit.
There were no signs of any boats when Local 10 News stopped by Monday, just a lone boat trailer sitting out in the open.
Detectives said Deuker did not even have a valid business license to operate.
Multiple complaints from people online allege that they too had been duped by Deuker.
During Monday’s hearing, Deuker’s attorney said it was all a big misunderstanding.
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