SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. – Two men are facing felony charges after allegedly defrauding a woman of $1,800 by pretending to be real estate brokers, according to South Miami police. Authorities say there was no apartment behind their promises.
Joshua Jeshurun Harrison, 37, of Miami, and Jose Adolfo Lopez, 29, of Chicago, are each charged with communications fraud, grand theft, and impersonating a licensed real estate broker.
Police said the victim met Harrison—who introduced himself as “Joshua Herrera”—at Empire Lounge off U.S. 1. A casual conversation turned into a daily friendship.
In May, the woman mentioned she planned to move due to an insect infestation in her apartment. Harrison claimed he was a licensed real estate broker with access to rental properties, including units at a complex referred to as Modera.
He told her she needed to terminate her current lease before proceeding. After doing so, she was shown photos of a Modera unit and told her application was in progress.
Later, Harrison cited delays in the Modera paperwork and offered a temporary stay at an Airbnb he said he owned off Southwest 59th Place. But once she moved in, the woman experienced repeated issues with the electronic lock, ultimately being locked out.
When she contacted Airbnb support, she learned no payment had been made by the alleged host, Jose. Suspicious, she reached out to Modera apartments directly and discovered that neither Harrison nor Lopez were affiliated with the property, and no application existed in her name.
Despite requesting a refund, the woman never recovered the $1,800 she had given them.
Both men were arrested on Wednesday. Harrison also faces a separate communications fraud charge in West Miami. Authorities are investigating whether there are more victims and encourage anyone with information to contact South Miami Police at 305-663-6301 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
As of Thursday, Harrison remained in custody on a $5,000 bond, while Lopez was preparing to post bond from Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
