Police are searching for a South Florida man accused of taking advantage of a decades-long friendship to make off with over $134,000 worth of Rolex watches.
Police are searching for a South Florida man accused of taking advantage of a decades-long friendship to make off with over $134,000 worth of Rolex watches.
Jose A. Quintana, 49, is being sought by Sweetwater Police after he apparently vanished with the fancy timepieces.
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Surveillance video showed Quintana inside the Luanda Cash Store on West Flagler Street and Southwest 103rd Court last Friday.
The store's owner, Joseph Maya, said he's known Quintana for 25 years and often does business with him, which is why he trusted him to take fives Rolex watches with the understanding that Quintana would sell them and bring back the money or bring any unsold items back to the store, which he's done in the past.
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But this time, Quintana didn't come back and attempts to reach him have gone unanswered.
Maya said he didn't have insurance on the watches.
"Destroyed in December, destroyed, destroyed. I’m a hardworking man, I work seven days a week," Maya said.
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The missing watches include a Rolex Sky Dweller valued at $39,500; a Rolex President 36mm valued at $19,000; a Rolex Submariner valued at $32,000; a Rolex Yacht-Master valued at $32,000; and a Rolex GMT Master valued at $12,000.
Quintana had been arrested in June on federal money laundering charges in a separate case.
Police said he had an ankle monitoring device from that case but the device has been cut off.
"This individual took five Rolexes from his buddy but because of the fact that he cut the monitor off and he remains now at large it's clear that he no intentions to return it," Sweetwater spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
Maya said he spoke with Quintana's girlfriend but she told him she hasn't seen him in over a week.
Police are asking anyone with information on Quintana's whereabouts to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
