Miami police arrested a local man allegedly tied to violent gang activity after uncovering what they say was a fake call center operating out of a Miami Airbnb.
Authorities identified the suspect as 19-year-old Armani Cherenfant of Little Haiti. Police said Cherenfant is connected to a violent gang known as ABK.
Investigators reported that over several days in late October and early November, officers observed Cherenfant and others believed to be gang members arriving at a home in the 10000 block of Southwest 162nd Street in high-end vehicles valued at around $100,000.
According to police, the residence was an Airbnb that had been converted to resemble a bank call center.
Officers raided the home on Nov. 5 and arrested 11 people, including four individuals who attempted to flee through the back of the house, police said.
Cherenfant, whose occupation was listed as “content creator” on his arrest report, was among those taken into custody.
During the search, officers found what they described as signs of an organized fraud operation in the living room. Police said a television was playing a call center background sound playlist from YouTube, and a table held multiple laptops and secondary Samsung phones, which officers described as part of an elaborate attempt to spoof victims.
Authorities also recovered five firearms, along with numerous debit cards, credit cards, medical cards, and driver’s licenses that did not belong to anyone inside the home. Officers also reported finding gang-related paraphernalia.
Cherenfant was arrested on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit an organized scheme to defraud and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remains held without bond.
Leave a Reply