By John MacLauchlan, Peter D’Oench, Joan Murray
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has announced the arrest of Jesus Cue, 63, in a long-running investigation into a massive fraud scheme involving the Hammocks Homeowners Association (HOA) in West Kendall. Cue, who served as the HOA’s controller and accountant, has been charged with racketeering, money laundering, unlawful compensation, and organized scheme to defraud.
From October 2018 to November 2022, Cue, along with his company Worldwide Business Solution Corporation, served as an accounting consultant for the Hammocks HOA board. Over the course of 47 months, Cue allegedly received over $644,000 in vendor payments, amounting to an average of $161,000 per year.
While overseeing the HOA’s finances, Cue testified in bankruptcy court that the HOA had no reserve funds and needed a $375,000 short-term loan for operations. However, during this same period, Hammocks residents—who number over 18,000—were allegedly defrauded as board members profited from the community’s funds, neglecting the necessary upkeep of the property.
The fraud investigation has resulted in multiple arrests, including former HOA board members such as Myriam Rodgers (former treasurer) and Monica Ghilardi (former vice president), who pleaded guilty and are cooperating with authorities. Ivan Diez, another individual implicated in the scam, is accused of billing $172,000 for unperformed work.
Don Kearns, the president of the Hammocks HOA, expressed relief after Cue’s arrest, stating that the scheme had victimized everyone in the community, with the total stolen funds believed to be closer to $12-13 million—double what the media originally reported.
Idalmen Ardisson, the HOA’s vice president, voiced similar sentiments, emphasizing that the community had been aware of the corruption and that the latest arrest was proof of their efforts to root it out. She added, “The message is don’t mess with the Hammocks, you will get caught.”
Prosecutors revealed that Cue’s company was connected to several fictional companies created by HOA board members’ relatives. These companies, such as Albri Consulting, LLC, Aya Service and Repair Corp., and Kaissen Technology, LLC, allegedly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in HOA payments under the guise of vendor services. These companies reportedly received nearly $500,000 in payments from the HOA during the fraud period.
Dante Chauca, husband of former board member Ghilardi, testified that Cue created Albri Consulting without his consent, which led to concerns about tax liabilities.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle made it clear that those exploiting HOA funds would face severe consequences, stating, “Those who feel that an HOA’s funds are there for the taking have made a grievous error.” Following the arrests, the new leadership at The Hammocks claims that millions of dollars have already been returned to the residents as a result of the ongoing investigation.
The case highlights not only the financial corruption at The Hammocks but also the efforts of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for the community.