A South Florida man, Keith Merard, 26, from Miramar, was arrested on Monday for his role in a fraudulent scheme where he posed as a purchasing director for Volusia County to make fake orders from vendors. He was booked into the Broward County Jail on charges of organized scheme to defraud and criminal use of personal identification information.
According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Merard and his associates carried out the scam over 11 months, posing as county officials to trick vendors into providing goods without payment. They contacted hundreds of vendors to open lines of credit and placed fraudulent orders. Many vendors grew suspicious, rejecting orders for equipment, but a few were processed. In one instance, the scammers successfully obtained more than $7,000 worth of reusable respirators, which were shipped to Miami in August and September.
A significant break in the case came in October when a company selling Starlink satellite kits noticed another suspicious order. The kits were delivered to a storage unit in Davie, Florida, but the order was never paid for. After the company contacted Volusia County’s purchasing director, the fraud was uncovered. The company worked with local authorities to investigate further.
On October 31, detectives received a tip when someone attempted to activate one of the stolen Starlink kits. The satellite equipment provided GPS coordinates, which led police to Merard’s apartment in Miramar. Surveillance footage showed Merard loading Starlink boxes into an SUV at the storage unit.
A search warrant was executed at Merard’s apartment on Monday, where he was arrested and confessed to his involvement in the scheme. Investigators learned that Merard was responsible for receiving and shipping the stolen goods and converting the proceeds into Bitcoin, which was transferred to overseas partners. The investigation into the larger fraud operation continues.