A Miami Lakes woman has been taken into custody for an alleged “credit bust out” fraud involving a pair of pricey vehicles.
Ledys Legra Garcia, 32, was arrested on Monday on charges including organized fraud of $50,000 or more, first-degree grand theft, second-degree grand theft, getting a car by trick, and obtaining property or credit through a false statement.
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According to an arrest complaint, on February 11, a 2024 Mercedes-Benz GT 55 valued at $154,000 and registered to Garcia and her husband was reported stolen from a home on Northwest 77th Place.
Investigators checking into the crime discovered an identity theft report filed with the Federal Trade Commission in which Garcia claimed the Mercedes was a fake transaction and she was a victim of identity theft, according to the report.
However, the suspected identity theft was not reported until May, some months after the Mercedes was stolen, according to the newspaper.
The FTC report also included a phony Miami-Dade Sheriff’s report to back up the identity theft claim, the report stated.
Investigators also learned Garcia now owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender worth over $58,000, which was obtained fraudulently, consistent with “credit bust outs,” according to the report.
“Credit bust outs” happen when a person buys multiple vehicles in a short period of time before they appear on their credit reports, or when a person manipulates their credit history to conceal negative activity, authorities said.
“Ms. Garcia filed a report claiming identity theft in order to free her credit history of her financial obligation to Mercedes Financial and misrepresented her income/employment information in order to acquire the Land Rover vehicle,” the report said.
Garcia brought herself in on Monday and was taken into jail. She appeared in court Tuesday, and a judge set her bond at $23,000.
