Florida man working for car dealer arrested after carjacking Honda driver over 1 late payment
In Miami, Florida, this month, a federal jury convicted a car dealer employee of carjacking. The circumstances are quite unusual: the victim was a 24-year-old who purchased a 2020 Honda Accord from the dealership in October 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida explained in a press release that evidence presented in court included details about the original $13,800 sale. Guru Auto Sales never gave the Accord buyer any loan paperwork.
Unbeknownst to the buyer, Guru Auto Sales had specific agreement terms with the finance company. If the buyer made a late payment within the first two months, the car dealer would have to buy out the company’s loan.
The buyer was late on their first payment but ultimately paid it plus a late fee. On December 15, 2023, Guru got a letter from the finance company demanding the full loan balance of $13,000. Apparently, the company explicitly instructed Guru not to repossess the vehicle since the account was technically in good standing.
On December 19, 2023, the buyer found a black BMW following him. At a red light, Erik Hadad exited the BMW. He ripped the temporary paper tag off the Accord and shouted at the victim to get out of the sedan. The victim had no idea who Hadad was since they had never met. The victim drove forward when the light turned green, attempting to escape.
Hadad followed in the BMW. He continued to harass the victim, “screaming aggressively,” and finally brandishing a firearm in his waistband. The Accord driver saw the weapon and surrendered the car to Hadad.
The victim called the police, who arrived and arrested Hadad. Authorities found a loaded firearm holstered to his waistband.
This month, the federal jury found Hadad guilty of carjacking. He’ll be sentenced in January. Guru Auto Sales has seven Better Business Bureau complaints. Some attempt to expose another business model, general contracting and home remodeling, done through the same location. As of this writing, the Guru Auto Sales Google Plus page says the car dealer is permanently closed.
