MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 51-year-old man who deputies said posed as a contractor to secure a $9,000 deposit for a home renovation project he never started was arrested Tuesday, more than two years after the alleged scheme.
The suspect was identified by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office as Julio Rodriguez, of Miami Beach.
Deputies said the incident happened March 20, 2024, at a home near the 15000 block of Southwest 99th Lane in the Hammocks community of southwest Miami-Dade.
According to the arrest report, Rodriguez presented himself as the owner of Bold Design Inc. and entered into a verbal agreement with the homeowner to install kitchen cabinets, a refrigerator panel, granite countertops, a backsplash, a sink and a faucet.
Investigators said the total cost of the project was estimated at $15,000. The victim paid Rodriguez a $9,000 deposit by check, but the report states he never began the work, provided any materials or refunded the money.
The report also states subpoenaed bank records showed Rodriguez cashed the check the same day he received it.
According to investigators, a Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources contractor licensing investigation later determined Rodriguez and his company were not licensed as contractors in Miami-Dade County or the state of Florida.
Investigators said multiple attempts were made to contact Rodriguez to discuss the case and resolve the matter, but he did not respond. The victim later identified Rodriguez in a photo lineup, according to the report.
After his arrest, detectives said Rodriguez waived his Miranda rights and admitted to the allegations, telling investigators he had been going through a “financial hardship,” his arrest report states.
Jail records show Rodriguez is facing one count each of third-degree grand theft and engaging in contracting without a license.
Records show he was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday morning after posting a $3,000 bond.
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