Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez Announces 22 Arrests in Joint Fraud Operation with Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office
Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez today announced that a coordinated investigation with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has resulted in 22 arrests tied to fraud schemes involving the manipulation of systems connected to local tag agencies.
The operation targeted individuals who exploited title and registration processes for unlawful gain. Of those arrested, six were agency employees who abused internal access, while the remaining suspects were external participants who worked to falsify transactions, bypass safeguards, or benefit from fraudulent title activity.
The investigation followed detailed transaction analysis, audit trail reviews, and coordination between Tax Collector compliance teams and law enforcement investigators to identify irregular patterns, trace user credentials, and link specific system actions to responsible individuals.
“We are cleaning up fraud in Miami-Dade County, and this operation proves it,” said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez. “I want to thank Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and decisive action. We have zero tolerance for anyone who manipulates our systems or abuses public trust. If you try to game the system, we will find you and you will be held accountable. Our residents deserve a system that is secure, honest, and enforced.”
Fernandez emphasized that each system user operates under unique credentials that create a clear audit trail, allowing investigators to trace activity directly to specific accounts and transactions. That accountability framework played a central role in identifying the misconduct uncovered in this operation.
The Tax Collector’s Office will continue strengthening compliance monitoring, transaction analytics, and interagency coordination to ensure tag agencies operate lawfully and that residents can trust the security of Miami-Dade’s vehicle title and registration system.
