Miami

South Florida Woman Accused of $167K Facebook Furniture Scheme

April Garcia, 45, was arrested Tuesday on 29 counts of grand theft and 29 counts of organized scheme to defraud

A South Florida woman accused of defrauding dozens of people out of more than $167,000 through a Facebook furniture scheme has been arrested, authorities said.

April Garcia, 45, was arrested Tuesday on 29 counts of grand theft and 29 counts of organized scheme to defraud, according to an arrest report.

The report said 29 people told investigators they had contacted Garcia after seeing a Facebook ad for a furniture liquidation sale offering 50 percent off modern furniture. Garcia met the alleged victims at different furniture stores in Miami Gardens throughout the month of March.

Garcia showed them pieces of furniture and negotiated prices, telling them they would get a better price if they paid in cash, the report said. Garcia then took payment and gave the alleged victims a date when the furniture would be shipped to their homes, the report said.

But when the delivery date came, they didn't receive their furniture. Victims who got a hold of Garcia were told their delivery date had changed, while other victims couldn't reach her and found that her number was no longer in service, the report said.

The victims were defrauded out of $167,864, the report said.

The manager of one furniture store told detectives that Garcia isn't an employee but was a sub-contractor who would purchase furniture and sell it to her customers, the report said. The manager said the store doesn't sell to the public, only businesses and licensed sub-contractors, and said he had no idea Garcia was "doing this type of thing," the report said.

Garcia was later arrested at a furniture store in Miami-Dade. She told investigators her business, Furniture Brokers, closed because the company went bankrupt, the report said.

Garcia was booked into jail, where she was being held Wednesday morning, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.

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