Condo association president arrested

Article Courtesy of The Miami Herald

By PETER BAILEY

Published August 24, 2007

Miami-Dade detectives with the economic crimes unit have arrested a condominium association president who is accused of stealing the association's money for personal use, officials announced Friday.

Ramon Perez, 57, was charged with one count of grand theft after an investigation found he stole $50,000 of board association fees at the Villa Grande Condominium, 6300 SW 138th Ct., police said.

Perez served as board president at Villa Grande from August 2004 to October.

Police said Perez used the money on car tires, vehicle repairs, light bills and other personal expenditures.

State Rep. Julio Robaina, a Miami Republican, said the case was investigated as part of a condominium-fraud pilot program that has been in place in Miami-Dade County since March.

The program allows condo unit owners to report possible incidents of fraud to the police to investigate.