MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – Police have arrested a man who devised an elaborate method to scam money from several luxury cars that were dropped off at valet parking lots in Miami and Miami Beach.
Miami Police announced they had arrested the mastermind behind the elaborate robbery, who they identified as 24-year-old Zakria Khan.
The suspect appeared in Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Maria Espinosa Dennis’ courtroom on Friday afternoon.
Sergeant Oscar Baquedano of the Miami Police Department addressed the judge.
“They steal luxury cars like Bentleys and Rolls Royces, then the criminals change the title to the cars and send them to other countries,” Baquedano said.
Investigators said the suspects made multiple trips using luxury transportation services from hotels, including the historic Eden Roc in Miami Beach.
“This method of car theft is a new trend that is victimizing valet companies, with perpetrators stealing the keys directly from the valet box and then returning a short time later to steal the vehicle,” the arrest report states.
“He’s basically one of the ringleaders of the operation here,” Baquedano said.
Police said the suspects were involved in the theft of luxury vehicles worth about $2 million, including a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce and a Range Rover.
“Through investigations in several other jurisdictions, evidence established that he operated a continuing criminal enterprise,” the arrest report states.
“He’s been involved in a lot of fraud,” Baquedano said.
The luxury car robberies have occurred from Miami to Miami Beach and beyond, and some of the cars were tracked to a parking lot in Brickell, police said, adding that the vehicles had the same Montana license plates.
Detectives said in some cases Khan’s vehicles were stolen and then towed or driven to a storage facility in Hollywood.
“We’ve been looking for him for a while,” Baquedano said.
Khan’s car crime spree came to an abrupt halt when he was arrested shortly after arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from New York, investigators said.
Judge Espinosa Dennis questioned the suspect in court on Friday.
“Do you have a bank account with money in it?” Espinosa Dennis said.
“No, it’s not the money,” Khan said.
Khan may not have any evidence against him for the large amount of theft he’s accused of, but police say he was somehow planning to get out of trouble on a jet.
“He is a dangerous individual. He is a flight risk,” Baquedano said. “Khan also had a flight booked today to San Salvador.”
Police said Khan had outstanding warrants for his arrest for possession of a machine gun and a handgun and was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade County.
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