Ex-president of Miami condo association arrested for grand theft: Police

The former president of a Miami condominium association has been arrested after police said he embezzled more than $32,000 for his own benefit.

Ben Dvir, 47, was arrested Wednesday on a grand theft charge, Miami-Dade Police officials said.

Dvir is the former president of the Blue Condominium Association at 601 Northeast 36th Street in Midtown, police said.

Between December 2019 and February 2021, Dvir, instructed Tile Empire 9, a vendor for the condominium, to write a commission check for $32,905.66 to Jadore Cosmetic, LLC, police said.

Miami-Dade Corrections

The cosmetic company is owned by Dvir's mother in-law, where he is an authorized signor on the business bank account, police said.

According to an arrest report, the association had purchased tile from the company for use in common areas of the building.

Dvir would allegedly tell the tile company to mark up invoices by around 50% of the purchase price and have them send the commission funds for the difference in the mark up to the cosmetic company, the report said.

"Mr. Dvir was able to use the power he had has president of the association and violate the trust of the board of directors in order to be able to have personal gain and access to this money to embezzle the money for personal gain," Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.

Dvir was arrested and booked into the Miami-Dade jail. Attorney information wasn't available.

After his release on bond, Dvir didn't want to answer questions from reporters. NBC6 also reached out to the association and was waiting to hear back.

Police said the arrest is another example of home and condo association abuse of power.

"We urge the community that we do understand that the homeowners associations have been dealing with particular situations of theft and fraud and we ask anyone with informaton regarding any homeowners association acting in a criminal way to contact CrimeStoppers," Zabaleta said.