Four accused of trying to deposit $28M stolen check after Pembroke Pines sting
A Hialeah man and three men from Texas were arrested after a Pembroke Pines sting operation allegedly uncovered an attempt to deposit a stolen multi-million dollar tax refund check, according to federal court records.
The four men were lured to a restaurant Monday, Nov. 10, for negotiations with an undercover agent posing as a banker before being arrested around 1 p.m., a federal criminal complaint shows.
The check — worth $27.9 million — was originally written out to a Richmond, Virginia, company that went unamed in the complaint. Officers received a tip in November from an unidentified source that named Carlos Manuel Villanueva, 37, of Hialeah as having “pictures, videos, and direct access” to the check.
Villanueva contacted the undercover agent Nov. 5 to strike up a deal for the check’s deposit, explaining he couldn’t cash it legitimately since the Richmond company was closed and said it would expire Nov. 12 to create “a sense of urgency,” according to the complaint.
The Hialeah man added that he could summon the out-of-state men who possessed the check to meet with the agent in Florida and that they “have access to other checks of a large amount,” records show.
Details such as time, place and Villanueva’s cut — roughly $5.6 million — were discussed by the two in a Nov. 8 communication where the 37-year-old asked the agent to open three separate accounts for the funds and mapped out plans to withdraw the money over several months, the complaint said.
Villanueva met the agent at the undisclosed Pembroke Pines eatery around 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 10, the complaint states, with Jorge Cruz Garcia, 30, of Katy, Texas, arriving an hour later.
He introduced himself as “David” to the agent, explaining he has “extensive experience in negotiating stolen check, particularly U.S. Treasury Check,” and runs a business he uses to funnel the stolen profits, according to the complaint. Garcia tacked on wire transferring as much money as possible to several business accounts of his as a request.
Around 1:20 p.m., officers spotted John Ryan Boxie, 43, of Houston arrive in a white Maserati, with Garcia heading out to take a call and meet him outside. When they returned to the restaurant, they were joined by Eric Renard Bedford, 44, of Houston, the complaints says.
Boxie led the conversation from there, the complaint states, and introduced himself to the agent as a longtime accountant with experience working “with two tax preparation firms” in his hometown. He added that he’d kept the check for almost a year because he couldn’t find anyone to negotiate it, agents say.
When the details for the scheme were finalized — $300,000 to $400,000 would be moved daily into several sub-accounts, Bedford would have mobile app access to the main acocunt and the money would be split five ways — Bedford walked to the Maserati and returned with a white envelope from car, the complaint reads.
The envelope was handed to the undercover agent — who opened it and confirmed it held the check — before law enforcement officers monitoring the exchange stepped in and arrested the four men.
Villanueva, Garcia, Bedford and Boxie were taken to the United States Postal Inspection Service for processing and interview, according to the complaint.
All except Boxie are being held in Broward County’s Main Jail with no bond, jail records show.
Villanueva and Garcia’s attorneys — Gennaro Cariglio Jr. and Antonio Pena Jr. — did not respond to the Pembroke Pines News’ request for comment Nov. 13. Information on Bedford and Boxie’s lawyers was not available.
The four men appeared before a judge on Nov. 12 according to court records, and face charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and theft of government money or property.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 12:58 PM.
