OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A husband and wife team is tricking people out of money and they're moving from state to state targeting victims, deputies told WFTV Friday. The couple's scheme is a business deal that's hard to turn down.
A wealthy businessman, along with his wife, set out to share their success with others; at least that's what they made people believe.
"When you receive, you have to give. That's what he said," victim Josue Apostol said.
Two men who WFTV spoke with said they fell victim to Elvis and Franca Jimenez. The couple claimed to export construction equipment to Venezuela. They first met their victims as clients of real estate agent Carlos Olivero.
"He knows what he's doing," Apostol said.
Olivero said Elvis Jimenez convinced him to hand over $5,000 for a share in his exporting business.
"He showed me inventories, he showed me orders, everything," Olivero said.
He said the couple used his money to lease a home in St. Cloud and, from there, they lured more victims. Detectives said the centerpiece of the scam involved the supposed sale of surplus pickup trucks.
Jimenez emailed photos of him in Chevy trucks and said he had too many in his inventory. His victims could sell one for up to $20,000, but they had to give him $5,000 first. Once the money was handed over, the actual trucks never arrived.
"We put everything we had. I also sold my minivan," victim Martin Centurion said.
The men are just three of at least six local victims that include a single mom and a pastor. Video captured one of them confronting Franca Jimenez, but no one has seen the couple since.
"I don't know if our money is going to come back. Our main focus now is to get them behind bars," Olivero said.
*UPDATE ON 09/20/11* WFTV spoke with Franca Jimenez who said she served her time in jail for the crime, but has since been released.
WFTV
