The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday the arrest of six people accused of stealing at least $5.8 million from five condominium associations in the county, as part of a two-year investigation dubbed “Operation Sundown.”
The alleged mastermind of the scheme is Juan Awais, 60, who used his own property management companies to infiltrate condominium boards and divert funds to personal accounts through a network of affiliated companies.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the scheme as a “brazen criminal organization” and noted that Awais “built a network designed to create opportunities to siphon money from the associations he was supposed to be serving.”
Along with Awais, Michael Irizarry, Delma Alonso, Johana Barrios Pérez-Tapia, Juliet Ramos, and Cynthea Louise Waltz were arrested, all on charges of criminal conspiracy, money laundering, grand theft, and organized fraud, according to court records.
The primary victims were volunteer board members, mostly Spanish-speaking seniors who trusted those managing their communities. “The board members of these associations apparently had no idea what was really going on,” Cordero-Stutz stated.
The fraud scheme was systematic: the defendants sent invoices for services never rendered or for work already paid for and transferred the money to their own accounts.
Awais also gained the trust of board members so they would sign documents they didn’t fully understand, allowing him to control the associations’ operations and finances.
One of the most revealing episodes occurred after Hurricane Irma: the Mira Villa Condo Association received a $796,000 insurance check for repairs. Part of the money was earmarked for the roof, but hundreds of thousands of dollars were funneled to companies linked to the defendants.
“The homeowners were facing the aftermath of a devastating hurricane, and the insurance money was meant to repair their homes. Instead, hundreds of thousands of dollars were siphoned off through a network to benefit people who had no legitimate right to that money,” the sheriff said.
The five affected condominiums are Mira Villa Condo Association, Los Sueños Condo, Samari Lake East Condo Association, Lago Grande, and Country Lake Manors, most of them located in or around Hialeah.
During the investigation, detectives executed seven search warrants on phones, computers, and electronic documents.
Authorities also found evidence of obstruction: the suspects allegedly submitted incomplete or newly fabricated documents and discouraged board members from speaking with the police.
“This affected hundreds of families throughout Miami-Dade County. Our hope is that there will be more arrests; the investigation continues. As I said, $5.8 million is the amount we have today, but we suspect it is higher,” Cordero-Stutz warned.
Awais was detained on $3,002,500 bail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Alonso faces $2,202,500 bail; Ramos, $722,500; and Pérez-Tapia, $720,000.
This case is the largest condominium fraud recorded in Miami-Dade since The Hammocks HOA scandal, where more than $11 million was embezzled and the former president of that community was sentenced to seven years in prison. Miami-Dade launched a digital portal in 2025 to report condominium fraud, which received 81 complaints in its first two weeks.
“Operation Sundown” was a two-year investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office that culminated in the arrest of six people accused of stealing more than $5.8 million from five condominium associations in the county.
Juan Awais, 60, is identified as the mastermind behind the fraudulent scheme. He used his property management companies to infiltrate condominium boards and divert funds to personal accounts through a network of affiliated companies.
After Hurricane Irma, the Mira Villa association received an insurance check for $796,000 for repairs. Some of the money was used for roof repairs, but hundreds of thousands of dollars were diverted to companies linked to the accused, instead of being used for the repairs.
The six detainees face charges of criminal association, money laundering, grand theft, and organized fraud. Among them are the alleged leader, Juan Awais, along with Michael Irizarry, Delma Alonso, Johana Barrios Pérez-Tapia, Juliet Ramos, and Cynthea Louise Waltz.
