Elderly Couple Arrested After Years Of Scamming With Fake Cruises

An elderly couple, Maria and Antonio Diaz, aged 64 and 65 respectively, are facing potential prison time for allegedly scamming friends and family out of over $200,000. The couple is accused of luring their victims with offers of discounted jewelry, including diamonds and Rolex watches, and luxury cruises, primarily targeting Royal Caribbean packages. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department began investigating the couple and determined that, as far back as 2022, they had been running an elaborate scheme where none of the promised items or services were real. Victims, trusting Antonio who worked at a discounted jewelry store, would hand over large sums of money without asking questions. One couple reportedly gave $140,000 for 16 Rolex watches and a cruise package. Maria made the cruise offers seem very believable, claiming a contact at Royal Caribbean and offering detailed packages including drink packages, excursions, and upgrades. Another couple bought $14,000 worth of jewelry. When the jewelry didn't arrive, Maria would offer excuses, such as items being shipped to the wrong store or held in quality control. For the cruises, victims received sailing dates and other information but no confirmation numbers. When issues arose, Maria would claim her Royal Caribbean contact was fired, leading to cruise cancellations. As cancellations mounted and jewelry failed to appear, investigators questioned Maria, who provided what was described as a "word salad" and was subsequently arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department. Initially, Antonio was not considered the main conspirator, with Maria even admitting it was all her doing. However, he was arrested because of the logical connection to the jewelry and his employment at a jewelry store, suggesting his involvement in the organized scheme. It is presumed that the investigation uncovered evidence of his involvement. After their arrest, the couple reportedly attempted to cover their tracks by making partial payments to some cruise victims using newly opened small bank accounts, but this was insufficient. They have since been released on $35,000 bond each, but are subject to a "Nebia hold," which requires them to prove the legitimacy of the collateral used for their bond. The couple faces charges including organized fraud of $50,000 or more, first-degree grand theft of over $100,000, uttering forged documents, writing and issuing a worthless check of $150 or more, and theft from an elderly victim of more than $10,000 but less than $50,000. The situation serves as a stark reminder about the importance of not blindly trusting people, even friends and family, especially when dealing with significant amounts of money, and to always get agreements in writing.