Odalis Freixa and Marisela Gamez of Coral Gables, Florida were arrested Friday after they were accused of defrauding unsuspecting investors out $1 million during a seven-year real estate fraud scam, news sources indicate. Freixa, 48, and Gamez, 49, were booked into jail on a slew of charges, including first-degree grand theft and organized fraud. Freixa's bail bond was set at $205,000; Gamez's was set at $60,000. It is not yet known whether either of the suspects has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.
Reports say both women, identified as sisters, conducted the alleged fraud using a number of South Florida businesses: FL Home Loans, LLC, FL Home Holdings LLC, and the not-for-profit H.E.R.O. Foundation, Inc. (founded by Freixa). According to reports, Freixa had expertise knowledge in real estate dealings and even authored the book "The American Dream, It's Not Forgotten," which educates readers about such things as home foreclosures and loan modification programs.
Detectives say that Freixa was the brains behind the alleged real estate scheme. Using her specialized knowledge in the real estate business, detectives say she lied and cheated her investors out of money. Many of those investors were close acquaintances that Freixa had known for years, reports say. It remains to be seen whether any of them - their numbers are still not known - will press charges against the sisters.
According to reports, Gamez assisted in the scheme by offering purported "delay tactics" and falsifying agreements to show the victims. As part of the scheme, Gamez would report inaccurate information regarding a client's standing on loans and defunct properties while her sister, Freixa, attempted to sell those properties to the client, reports say. By falsifying information regarding the sale of the home or a loan, the pair was allegedly able to dupe victims.