Walfredo Misas-Cruz, and William Jason Tyler. {BSO}
By Kevin Deutsch
Two men were arrested last week for defrauding a North Lauderdale car dealership and its customers of more than $643,162, authorities said.
Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office North Lauderdale District said the two accused thieves, William Jason Tyler, 47, of Oakland Park, and Walfredo Misas-Cruz, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, were working at Z Motors, 1752 S. State Rd, 7, when they set in motion a “systematic, organized scheme that allowed them to fraudulently steal 24 vehicles from the North Lauderdale business and sell those vehicles to various individuals and wholesalers to the tune of $347,774.”
The pair also defrauded 166 of the business’ customers of close to $300,000 in cash using money transfer apps, investigators said. The customers thought their down payments and monthly vehicle payments were being received by the business, not Tyler and Misas-Cruz, according to BSO.
Tyler received approximately $168,510 from customers using the financial transfer apps, while Misas-Cruz accepted roughly $126,878, records show.
Detectives said they began investigating the duo in July of 2022 after the car dealership reported “unethical activities” involving the two men. Through their investigation, detectives learned the pair falsely brokered deals using the company’s information and that the scam took place between November 2018 to July 2022, according to BSO.
Both men are charged with 24 counts of grand theft auto, one count of grand theft in the first degree, and one count of obtaining property over $50,000 by fraud. Tyler faces an additional charge of impersonating or using the identification of another without their consent.
Tyler and Misas-Cruz were arrested on Sept. 7 and booked into the Broward Main Jail.
Records show Tyler was released on a $45,000 bond and Misas-Cruz on a $30,000 bond.
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Author Profile
- Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.
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