An eighth arrest has been made in a years-long probe of alleged theft and racketeering in one of the largest homeowners associations in the state of Florida.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office on Friday announced charges against the former accountant of the Hammocks Homeowners Association in connection to the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors say several HOA board members and their relatives were funneling association funds to themselves and friends, disguised as vendor payments through fictional companies.
Jesus Cue was a business and accounting consultant to the Hammocks HOA board between October 2018 and November 2022. In that time, prosecutors say Cue received $644,000 in vendor payments.
According to the State Attorney’s office, three of the shell companies involved listed Cue’s company, Worldwide Business Solution Corp., as their registered agent and received almost $500,000 in vendor payments from the HOA.
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“No homeowner should have to worry about how their HOA is handling the association’s funds,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in a statement.
Witness Dante Chauca, the husband of former HOA board member Monica Ghilardi, was falsely listed as a "manager" in state filings for a fictional vendor called Albri Consulting, LLC. According to Chauca, his wife allegedly directed Cue to create a hidden salary for hers under Albri Consulting without Chauca's permission, say prosecutors.
“Our investigation of the thefts at the Hammocks HOA have shed a bright light on a crime that may be occurring throughout our state," said Fernandez Rundle. "Those who feel that an HOA’s funds are there for the taking have made a grievous error. Today’s arrest should make it blatantly clear.”
The Hammocks HOA is the largest homeowners association in the county, overseeing 40 communities and over 6,500 units in West Kendall.
Cue is the 8th person arrested in connection to the alleged theft. His charges include racketeering, money laundering and organized scheme to defraud over $50,000.
In 2022, several current and former board members were arrested on charges of stealing more than $2 million of residents' money.
