In South Florida, a 55-year-old man is in hot water after allegedly posing as a delivery driver for a popular pizzeria and scamming tourists over the course of several years.
Jose Marti-Alvarez, a Miami resident, is accused of impersonating a delivery man for Roman’s Pizzeria, a beloved local joint, and serving up undercooked or raw pizzas to unsuspecting tourists staying in Miami Springs hotels, Local10 reports.
Marti-Alvarez didn’t stop there. He also plastered fake flyers advertising “Roman Pizzeria” around hotel rooms near Miami International Airport, tricking visitors into ordering from what they thought was a reputable spot.
Police say this shady operation dragged on for years, leading to complaints to the Better Business Bureau, negative reviews, and a lot of frustrated customers for the real Roman’s Pizzeria.
Things took a wild turn when Marti-Alvarez allegedly tried to evade hotel staff and ended up hitting one with his vehicle, leading to an aggravated battery charge, according to the police.
Jesus Roman, the owner of Roman’s Pizzeria for 40 years, told NBC Miami that he started getting complaints from customers he had never served. He described the pizzas delivered by Marti-Alvarez as “bad, uncooked, and sometimes arriving in a box with just a lump of raw dough.”
Some of these bogus orders were also incorrect or had inflated prices, according to investigators.
After Roman reported the issue to the authorities, Marti-Alvarez was arrested and hit with charges of an organized scheme to defraud.
Despite the damage done to his business, Roman expressed a desire to resolve the issue without harsh penalties. “I didn’t want him to get arrested, but it was necessary to stop him. He should’ve done things the right way,” Roman told NBC Miami.
Roman emphasized that he didn’t ask for a severe punishment for Marti-Alvarez, telling CBSNews, “I just want him to stop using my restaurant’s name. If he starts his own business and does it right, then more power to him.”
Marti-Alvarez has been released on a $5,000 bond, according to CBSNews. The Wade Law Firm in Tampa notes that defraud schemes can be charged as third, second, or first-degree felonies, with penalties varying based on the case specifics.
Newsweek reached out to Miami Springs Police for further details.
