Mother and son arrested in $620K fraud scheme that funded luxurious way of life, Medley Police say – NBC 6 South Florida

A mom and her son are dealing with expenses in reference to an alleged fraud scheme that ripped off a Medley firm for over $620,000 to pay for his or her luxurious way of life, police mentioned.

Maria Rodriguez and Miguel Antonio Perez are dealing with expenses together with grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and conspiracy to commit organized scheme to defraud, Medley Police mentioned Wednesday.

The arrests are a part of “Operation Iron Illusion,” begun in April 2025 after a report of monetary fraud involving the corporate, Iron Container Holdings LLC, police mentioned.

Investigators found Rodriguez, the corporate’s president, had used her place to profit herself and her son, who was initially employed as a safety guard on the firm for $42,000 a yr and later had his wage raised to $114,000 as he labored remotely, police mentioned.

But investigators discovered the corporate did not have workplace safety guards, and witnesses did not see Perez performing safety duties, police mentioned.

Medley Police

Medley Police

In reality, his firm entry card and laptop credentials hadn’t been used since 2022, and 49 separate conflicts had been found exhibiting him checked right into a gymnasium whereas he was additionally reported to be working, police mentioned.

Detectives additionally found firm bank cards had been utilized by Rodriguez to fund luxurious automobiles, a Brickell house, yachts and designer clothes, in addition to gymnasium dues, auto insurance coverage and prison protection authorized charges, police mentioned.

In whole, it is alleged they embezzled over $620,000 from the corporate, with the private bills listed as regular enterprise bills, police mentioned.

“The Medley Police Department remains committed to protecting our business
community. We will not tolerate individuals in positions of trust exploiting that trust for personal gain at the expense of local businesses, their employees, and our community,” the division mentioned in an announcement. “We will continue to use every resource available to identify, locate, and hold accountable those responsible for these crimes.”