A former car dealership finance manager and an alleged straw buyer and money mule are facing charges after authorities in Miami-Dade said they uncovered a large “credit bust out” fraud scheme involving more than two dozen vehicles worth over $1.5 million.
Deinier Dominguez, 39, of Cutler Bay, and 49-year-old Elizabeth Gamez Pardo, of Miami, were arrested on Wednesday amid an ongoing investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office’s Auto Crimes Task Force, arrest reports said.
Miami-Dade CorrectionsMiami-Dade Corrections
Deinier Dominguez and Elizabeth Gamez Pardo
Dominguez is charged with organized fraud, 25 counts of grand theft, 25 counts of obtaining a vehicle by trick, 25 counts of obtaoining property or credit by false statement, racketeering, money laundering, and criminal solicitation, records showed.
Gamez Pardo is charged with organized fraud, grand theft of a vehicle, uttering forged instruments, forging bank bills or promissory notes, obtaining a vehicle by trick, racketeering, money laundering, criminal solicitation, and obtaining property or credit by false statement.
According to the reports, Dominguez helped carry out the “credit bust out” scheme while he was the finance manager at Bomnin Chevrolet between 2020 and 2025 and then at HGreg Nissan from 2025 to January 2026.
A “credit bust out” happens when a person purchases numerous vehicles during an abbreviated period of time before they appear on their credit reports, or a person manipulates their credit history to conceal negative activity, authorities said.
The bust out suspect often illegally subleases the vehicles on the black market or has the lien washed and titled in other states, or quickly transfers the vehicles to other owners, authorities said.
Investigators found Dominguez originated 25 automobile loans under false pretenses accounting for a total of $1,518,701.70, the reports said.
The vehicles included Corvettes, Tahoes, Jeeps, BMWs, Mercedes, a Cadillac, a Lexus, a Land Rover and others, the reports said.
The reports said Dominguez used his position as finance manager to “facilitate bust out schemes for personal profit,” and listed at least a dozen other suspects including straw buyers and auto brokers and recruiters.
One alleged straw buyer, Gamez Pardo, claimed identity theft for a loan opened in her name for a 2024 Mercedes GLE AMG worth $128,000, the reports said.
But investigators discovered a photo of her receiving the keys to the car at the dealership, and found that Dominguez was the finance manager who originated the loan on the Mercedes purchase, the reports said.
“In this case, Mr. Dominguez role as the finance manager is directly responsible for $1,518,701.70 in fraudulent automotive loans issued,” the reports said.
Dominguez appeared in bond court Thursday, where a detective said he’d been fired from both dealerships.
The detective said investigators have been able to recover “a handful” of the vehicles.
“He’s the top of the pyramid, he was the finance manager at the dealerships who I guess approved it looks like $1.5 million worth of these fraudulent loans,” a prosecutor said.
The judge granted Dominguez bond but he’ll have to prove that the funds used to pay it were legally obtained.
A spokesperson for HGreg released a statement Thursday on the arrest of Dominguez.
“At HGreg, integrity is our highest priority and before anyone is hired, we conduct rigorous background checks. Protecting the interests of our customers is central to our mission and guides every decision we make,” the statement read. “Upon being informed of the investigation by the authorities, the employment of Deinier Dominguez was terminated the same day. Since that time, we have fully cooperated, and will continue to cooperate with the authorities to ensure that the matter is addressed thoroughly.”