Another arrest has been made amid a years-long investigation into the alleged massive theft of funds from the Hammocks Home Owners Association, while two people who were previously arrested have pleaded guilty and are cooperating, prosecutors said.
Ivan Dario Diez, 58, was arrested Thursday on charges including grand theft, organized fraud, fabricating physical evidence and perjury, Miami-Dade jail records showed.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the arrest at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Diez's arrest is at least the seventh involving Hammocks HOA board members and their relatives dating back to 2022.
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Five were arrested in November 2022 after they were accused of stealing millions from the HOA in a scheme dating back years.
Among those arrested was the board's president, Monica Ghilardi, who was charged with racketeering and grand theft, and the former president and treasurer, Marglli Gallego, who's charged with racketeering and organized fraud.
Gallego's husband, Jose Gonzalez, and cousin, Kevin Leonardo Alzate, were also arrested, along with board member Myriam Rodgers and Yoleidis Lopez.
The Hammocks HOA oversees about 40 communities with more than 6,500 units and around 18,000 residents, and is one of the largest homeowners associations in the state and the largest in Miami-Dade.
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The HOA theft scandal led to the creation of a new state law meant to protect homeowners.
