MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — There are new charges for a man accused of defrauding several victims.
Opa-locka police arrested Ricardo Deuker, 43, of Miami Shores, last week.
According to police, at least five victims came forward over the past several months after making purchases from Up Boats LLC, an Opa-locka company that claimed to sell carbon fiber boats, through Deuker, who also went by the alias of Ric Ruthenberg.
Several clients said they paid for vessels that they never received, and some said that Deuker became unreachable afterwards.
This week, an additional victim came to authorities claiming to have agreed to purchase a boat from Deuker, who was going by Ruthenberg, for $33,638, according to an arrest form.
Between March, when they first made the agreement, to September, when the boat was supposed to be completed, the victim said Deuker became increasingly difficult to contact until he became completely unreachable.
Deuker is now facing additional charges for grand theft and organized fraud of more than $20,000 and less than $50,000.
He remains behind bars at the Metrowest Detention Center.
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