A Miami real estate agent charged with fraud and money laundering related to a pandemic relief fund she allegedly used to rent out her white Bentley Bentayga, rent luxury apartments and more has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Daniela Rendon now has her license up at Smart Miami Realty in Doral, indicted in february Two counts of money laundering, seven counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. After pleading guilty to wire fraud this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking to have all other charges dismissed.
Her fiancé, Eliasib Reyes, was indicted on similar charges related to her case just days earlier, court documents show.
Rendon has 33,500 followers on Instagram, where she shares photos of her lavish lifestyle, as well as her real estate listings. After her allegations became public, she deleted her account, but later restored it. Rendon was at Sunny Isles BeachPromoted projects including Estates by Acqualina, Mansions by Acqualina and Bentley Residences.
Under the plea agreement, she could face up to 20 years in prison, but the government recommended that she reduce her sentence. She could also be fined up to $250,000.
Rendon allegedly submitted fraudulent According to a complaint prepared by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn, she applied for Covid-19 federal relief funds from the Small Business Administration and the Paycheck Protection Program by falsifying income, pay stubs and IRS tax returns during the pandemic.
The complaint alleges that she submitted false information about headcount, monthly wages, gross receipts and cost of goods sold to obtain two loans: a $317,290 PPP loan and a $10,000 SBA loan. She allegedly used the funds to rent a Key Biscayne apartment, perform skin surgery and repair designer shoes.
Rendon also claimed she was a real estate developer as head of Rendon PA, which she falsely claimed generated nearly $92 million in revenue between early 2019 and 2020, according to a recent court filing. At the time, she was effectively a sales associate, earning checks every two weeks for the Trump Organization’s A3 Development, which recently developed Acqualina’s Estates, for $2,000, according to documents signed by Rendon.
Rendon’s fiancé, Reyes, is also suspected of involvement in the fraud. He was charged with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering, according to a complaint filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Behring. Reyes is the Finance Manager for Braman Motors, According to the dealer’s website. He signed her lease on the Bentley SUV as a co-guarantor, a copy of the application included in the documents shows.
Reyes allegedly submitted fraudulent applications and received federal PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans through his Reyes Airlines. He allegedly used the funds in part to purchase Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches (starting at over $20,000), Rolex Oystersteel and Everose Gold watches (over $10,000), fund his personal brokerage account and pay credit card charges, the complaint alleged .
Documents in the Rendon case show that Reyes bought a $685,000 mortgage on a $725,000 home in the Miami Design District neighborhood in November.
Rendon referred to Reyes as her fiancé in an email asking about his taxes, in which she asked an unnamed person if she could be Reyes pay taxes.Rendon wrote that Reyes wanted to “write off [an] aircraft and [its] expenses” and advised them to “report at least $90,000.”
South Florida is often referred to as the country’s Fraud and money laundering funds, the federal pandemic-era lending program will only exacerbate the situation. Many of the alleged perpetrators used federal funds to buy luxury cars, homes and other expensive items.
Last summer, Bal Harbor-based developer Eric Sheppard was charged with felony wire fraud for submitting “false and fraudulent” applications for Covid-19 financial aid loans on behalf of six companies he managed in four states. include trio in bal harbor. The government accused him of stealing nearly $900,000 in PPP funds.
