MIRAMAR, Fla. — A Miramar man is facing felony charges in two separate cases dealing with fraud involving the sale of jet fuel and palm oil, totaling more than $280,000.
Miramar police took Riyadh Gabbara, 70, into custody on fraud and grand theft charges on Tuesday, stemming from allegations dating back to 2023.
He was already facing charges in a similar case in Pembroke Pines ― and that city’s police force had arrested him on a grand theft charge in November.
In the Miramar case, investigators said the Iraqi-born Gabbara, who owns a company called ME Global Oil Holding LLC, signed a contract with a victim to sell him jet fuel for $140 million.
The victim agreed to make a $200,000 deposit, according to an arrest report. But authorities said he never got the fuel and he never got his deposit back.
“No evidence was found showing any legitimate business activity,” the report states.
Meanwhile, in the Pembroke Pines case, authorities said a victim made a deal with Gabbara to buy crude palm oil in April 2022.
In a similar deal, authorities say the victim agreed to buy the product, made a deposit and never got the oil.
Pembroke Pines police said Gabbara had given the victim a $125,000 check that bounced because Gabbara’s account was almost running on empty: It only had $200.52.
Eventually, police said Gabbara wired the man only $5,000 and the victim lost a total of $82,100 from the fraud.
That case remains pending in the Broward court system.
After his latest arrest, records show Gabbara was being held in the Broward Main Jail on a $50,000 bond as of Wednesday afternoon.
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