Operation Sundown: When Condo Money Is Stolen, Owners Still Face the Bills

On August 27, 2026, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of six people accused of stealing at least $5.8 million from condominium associations, the result of a two-year investigation ¹. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the losses could be significantly higher ¹². For owners in the affected buildings, the case raises an uncomfortable question: when association money disappears, who pays for the roof, the gate and the repairs that never happened?

What investigators allege

According to the sheriff’s office, the alleged ringleader, 60-year-old Juan Awais, used his property management companies and his relationships with board members to control the associations’ operations and finances ². Investigators said many of the volunteer board members were elderly and primarily Spanish-speaking ¹². The group is accused of billing for services already paid for, billing for work never done and moving money into personal accounts through falsified invoices ¹². One suspect is accused of keeping hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurance money that was supposed to fund post-Hurricane Irma repairs at a building ¹.

The associations named were Mira Villa, Los Sueños, Samari Lake East, Lago Grande and Country Lake Manors, mostly in Hialeah ¹². The six defendants face charges that include grand theft, organized fraud, money laundering and racketeering ¹. At this stage these are charges, not convictions, and the investigation remains active ¹².

One Los Sueños resident of 24 years told CBS News Miami that projects are unfinished, the entrance gate is broken and security cameras do not work properly ². His unit is paid off, but he still pays a $340 monthly fee plus a $200 special assessment ². The sheriff put it directly: “Your monthly association fees and special assessments are your hard-earned money. You have every right to know where that money is going” ¹.

The bills do not stop

A theft from the association does not suspend an owner’s obligation to pay. Under section 718.116, a unit owner owes all assessments that come due while the owner holds title, and it gives the association a lien on the unit as security for those amounts ⁴. The association may foreclose that lien the way a mortgage is foreclosed, may also sue for a money judgment, and may recover its attorney’s fees ⁴. When stolen funds must be replaced, the gap usually shows up as higher dues or a special assessment, and an owner who falls behind can face the same collection process as any other delinquency.

Florida law does build in some protection. Section 718.111 requires a condominium association to maintain insurance or fidelity bonding for everyone who controls or disburses association funds, in an amount covering the maximum funds held by the association or its management agent at any one time ³. Owners also have a right to inspect and copy the official records, and an association that willfully fails to provide access within 10 working days of a written request faces minimum damages of $50 per day for up to 10 days ³. Asking whether the association has made a claim on its bond or crime policy is a reasonable first question.

Options for owners who cannot keep up

Owners hit with a new assessment on top of regular dues should contact the association early and ask about installment terms before late fees and legal fees are added. If the association moves toward foreclosure, Chapter 13 bankruptcy can stop the case: the automatic stay halts a foreclosure when the petition is filed, and the owner can then bring past due amounts current over a three to five year plan ⁵. The stay does not undo a foreclosure sale that was completed under state law before filing ⁵.

Unit owners in Miami-Dade and across South Florida who are behind on association fees or facing a special assessment they cannot pay can request a confidential consultation with The Roca Law Firm.