A homeowner and longtime board member of a North Miami Beach condominium was arrested after investigators say she pocketed thousands of dollars in kickbacks tied to building contracts.
Maria Del Carmen Alvarez-Concepcion was taken into custody this week, facing charges of organized fraud, second-degree grand theft and soliciting or accepting kickbacks, Local10.com reported.
Alvarez-Concepcion sat on the board of Greynolds Park Club Condominium Association at 17890 West Dixie Highway, where police say she solicited and accepted $20,910 in unauthorized payments from vendors seeking to do business in the complex.
The seven-story complex has 138 units, and apartments on the market range from $168,000 to $340,000, listing sites show.
The arrest followed a months-long investigation triggered by a complaint from a board member and unit owner, who police did not identify. According to the police, the concerned board member reached out to detectives after a vendor reported Alvarez-Concepcion had been soliciting payments in cash and by Zelle.
The police report also states that the board member “further reported longstanding concerns regarding the defendant’s exclusive control over multimillion dollar contracts, lack of financial transparency, questionable fees, missing records, and the exclusion of certain board members from major association decisions.”
Alvarez-Concepcion was arrested Thursday in the parking lot of Greynolds Park Club, according to the outlet. Upon the arrest, Alvarez-Concepcion “admitted to accepting kickback payments while acting in her position as an on-site manager,” detectives told the outlet.
She was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Association fraud has proved to be a pernicious issue across South Florida. In February, a Broward County condo property manager was arrested on charges of theft, including allegations he misappropriated more than $600,000.
–– Kate Hinsche
