Four people have been arrested and accused of stealing the identities of victims in the South Florida condominium collapse that killed 98 people, officials said on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Three of the names of those arrested were named in a news conference held on Wednesday afternoon by Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
The three suspects named at the time were Betsy Alejandra Cacho-Medina, 30, Kimberly Michelle Johnson, 34, and Rodney Choute, 38. They each face 15 to 30 years in prison.
On Friday, the fourth suspect was identified as Nelson Ronaldo Garcia-Medina, 20.
News outlets reported that Garcia-Medina is accused of assuming the identity of someone killed in the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South to buy a $130 pair of Air Jordan sneakers.
"These individuals appear to be very skilled identity thieves, they're professionals," Fernandez Rundle said on Wednesday. "Except for their names, almost nothing else about them seems to be true."
Authorities were first notified of possible fraudulent activity on July 9, when the sister of one of the deceased victims contacted Surfside police, officials said, according to AP. The sister had noticed password changes to the victim's bank accounts and credit cards, as well as new addresses and contact information.
None of the new addresses were the residences of the identity thieves, officials said. The group was using a series of drop locations, investigators said, adding that is a common tactic used in fraud schemes.
Multiple agencies were involved in the fraud investigation, including Miami-Dade police, Surfside police, Aventura police, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The remains of the last person who was killed in the Surfside condominium were identified in late July, one month after the collapse.
Days earlier, a judge ruled that families who suffered losses in the collapse of the building will receive at least $150 million in initial compensation.
The figure includes insurance on the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Expected proceeds from the sale of where the property once stood is also included.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)