A Cuban resident in Miami who posed as a Lyft driver stole an iPhone and over $8,000 from a customer.
The incident occurred in the early hours of November 2 in the Wynwood neighborhood.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, around 3:30 a.m., the victim was standing near Northwest 23rd Street and First Court after requesting a ride through Lyft, which was ultimately canceled.
He had been waiting for 20 minutes when a Ford Explorer driven by Jorge Milán Romero arrived. He introduced himself as a Lyft driver and asked if the man needed a ride home. Seeing that the car had a Lyft sign, the man said yes.
The Cuban told him that his phone wasn't working and needed to borrow his iPhone to use the GPS, and the passenger agreed.
The arrest report, accessed by Local 10, states that upon arriving at their destination, the victim exited the truck and Milan Romero "accelerated." It was then that she realized her phone was still in the vehicle.
The client made several calls from family members' phones, but the driver never answered. Later, it was discovered that access had been gained to both the bank accounts and Zelle, and $8,100 had been transferred. A credit card was also opened in the victim's name through Cash App.
After receiving the report, the police conducted an investigation and arrested Milán Romero in his apartment in the Overtown area days later.
During the interrogation, he admitted that he often offers rides to people outside the Lyft platform, but he stated that he did not remember that user. Additionally, he mentioned that if someone leaves their phone in his car, he either tosses it out the window or charges the owner to return it.
Milan Romero, 35, was charged with third-degree grand theft, fraudulent use of personal identification, and 23 counts of organized scheme to defraud. A bail of $7,500 was set.
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