The former longtime
president of the Marquis View II Condominium Association is
accused of helping himself to more than $20,000 of
association money.
Not only does a Miami-Dade police arrest report accuse
Gerald DeAngelo of stealing between $20,000 and $100,000
during his 15 years on the Marquis Villas-II Condominium
Association board, it paints him as being lazy on the
cover-up.
Speaking of painting, the report says DeAngelo provided fake
invoices for painting buildings, work that homeowners
couldn’t remember ever being done. The invoices claimed to
change signs that hadn’t been changed. The invoices
sometimes had only the first name of the workmen allegedly
paid.
DeAngelo was arrested Wednesday on one count of grand theft
between $20,000 and $100,000. The report said the
56-year-old took advantage of his right to remain silent.
According to Miami-Dade Corrections online records, DeAngelo
has already posted bond and been released from Turner
Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
“This arrest of a longtime Marquis Villas-II Condominium
Association president is another example of the problem that
too many Florida residents are facing today,” Miami-Dade
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle said. “The
legislative package of condo and HOA legal reforms we are
presently advocating for in Tallahassee will promote the
rights of homeowners to be free of such victimization. Our
present laws are desperately in need of reform and
strengthening.”
Holding the presidency — and the cash
DeAngelo bought his three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom,
1,180-square-foot unit at Marquis Villas II for $88,900 in
2001, a year after Miami-Dade property records say Nima
Development built the 44-unit complex in the 6700 block of
Northwest 182nd Street.
State filings for the condominium association say DeAngelo
joined the association’s board in 2004; became president in
2009; treasurer along with being president in 2014; stepped
down to vice president in 2019 before being removed entirely
that same year.
By that point, the arrest report says, “the association’s
reserve bank account was nearly depleted” despite
maintenance fees that should put $105,600 per year in the
association’s account. The previous property manager told
investigators that DeAngelo told him to worry only about
collecting the maintenance fees.
At some point, DeAngelo became the only signer on one
association bank account and the only signer and holder of
the only checking card linked to another account. Then
again, the arrest report says, that second association
account had his name on it. Over his last year on the board,
DeAngelo made $18,940 in ATM withdrawals on the account, the
report says.
Following his removal, DeAngelo was asked for invoices for
work and records of ATM withdrawals.
“Once [DeAngelo] produced some form of documentation for the
ATM withdrawals, it was apparent that [DeAngelo] fabricated
the invoices provided that were allegedly for work completed
around the association,” the report said.
There were invoices for work done, but no 1099 tax forms for
that work, the report said. There were invoices for work
done on Saturday or Sunday, when work isn’t allowed.
“Various invoices have only a first name of an individual
who cannot be traced anywhere,” the report said.
Those one-name individuals supposedly painted buildings,
replaced light bulbs, sod, grass, sidewalks, did roof
repairs and removed appliances.
Problem was, according to the report, the light bulbs hadn’t
been replaced. The board had to pay $7,000 to replace the
light bulbs and fixtures. Homeowners couldn’t remember
buildings being painted, sidewalks being replaced or sod and
grass being replaced. Where invoices said there should’ve
been new signs, old ones remained.
Taking appliances and furniture out of units? That’s a
problem for the owner, not the association.
The report said DeAngelo didn’t bother to come up with
invoices to explain the five checks on the association’s
account worth $3,400, pay to the order of “Cash,” and with
his signature.