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The authorities of Miami-Dade County announced the arrest of 22 individuals as part of Operation “Ghost Writer,” a six-month investigation that uncovered a coordinated scheme of fraud in license plate and vehicle processing agencies in various areas of the county.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the State Attorney's Office, and the County Tax Collector's Office, reported Telemundo 51.
In a press conference, Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz announced that the detainees are facing multiple charges related to the illegal manipulation of official records.
According to authorities, employees from several agencies illegally accessed databases of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to obtain personal information and vehicle data.
This information would have been used to carry out fraudulent title transfers, forgery of signatures, and the creation of fake notarial documents to illegally change the ownership of vehicles.
The investigation also points to the alleged collaboration between agency employees and vehicle dealers, who are said to have participated in the processing of irregular transactions.
Among the charges faced by the suspects are misconduct in office, forgery of public documents, alteration of vehicle titles, tampering with evidence, and use of counterfeit instruments.
Sheriff Cordero-Stutz warned that the investigation remains open and did not rule out new arrests or additional charges. "Anyone who abuses public trust or manipulates government records for personal gain will face the consequences," she stated.
The authorities also indicated that they are reviewing the security and oversight protocols at the licensing agencies to prevent this type of fraud from happening again.
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