Carlos Ravelo, a former finance manager at AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes, has been arrested on charges of defrauding customers of more than $100,000. Ravelo, 51, has been charged with one count of an organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or more; two counts of second-degree grand theft; one count of organized fraud of $50,000 or more; eight counts of third-degree grand theft; one count of theft from the elderly; and four counts of writing a worthless check. According to police reports, multiple consumers reported buying vehicles from Ravelo for cash, but never receiving the models or a full refund. AutoNation Honda has been investigating customer complaints, and the dealership’s general manager, Armando Ibanez, said Ravelo was selling vehicles that belonged to the dealership as if they were his private vehicles. Ravelo has entered not guilty pleas to many of the charges, and pleas have not yet been recorded in others.
Among the cases taken by police, Luis Quiñones reported buying what he thought were multiple AutoNation Honda vehicles in November 2022 for a combined $50,000 in cash from Ravelo. Quiñones said he never received any of the vehicles, but Ravelo only returned $45,000. Elio Cases reported meeting Ravelo at AutoNation Honda in November 2022 after Ravelo contacted him about a vehicle deal. Ravelo said a 2019 Honda Civic was available for $9,000, but the customer could only purchase the vehicle through him since he was the financial manager at the dealership. After collecting the money, Ravelo said the vehicle was in the shop, but he would call when it was ready. Later, Ravelo said the deal had fallen through and gave Cases a refund, but Cases claimed the check bounced. Homero Sanchez claimed Ravelo sold him a Honda Civic in a $9,800 cash deal but later told Sanchez the model had gone to another customer. Ravelo allegedly gave him a $16,000 personal check while another Civic was secured and told Sanchez he could cash it and keep the difference if that car wasn’t delivered. Sanchez said he couldn’t reach Ravelo after that, and the $16,000 check allegedly bounced.
Yuliety Borges reported trusting AutoNation Honda after buying a previous vehicle there. She also knew Ravelo, who had attended school with her mother-in-law. Borges said Ravelo told her he could get her a deal on a vehicle, but only if she paid cash. She paid Ravelo $30,000 and a second, final installment of $32,000, but she never received the vehicle, and Ravelo quit taking her calls. When she went to the dealership, she found Ravelo had been suspended because of complaints like hers.
AutoNation has not yet responded to a request for comment or confirmation of Ravelo’s employment status. Phone and email messages for Ravelo have not yet been returned, nor have email messages to his attorneys.
