According to police, a man in Miami Springs was apprehended for engaging in a sophisticated scam aimed at deceiving tourists. His modus operandi involved convincing them that his pizza was from a popular local pizzeria.
Jose Marti-Alvarez is accused of running an organized scheme to defraud, as he allegedly distributed counterfeit flyers to hotel rooms along Northwest 36th Street. These flyers advertised his business, Roman Cuisine Pizzeria, and misled customers into thinking they were purchasing from Roman’s Pizzeria, as reported by Miami Springs Police.
According to Jesus Roman, the true owner of Roman’s Pizzeria, he has been facing issues with the alleged counterfeit version of his restaurant for a number of years. He has received complaints from customers whom he has never actually served.
Roman revealed that they were able to uncover the ongoing activities through various means. He explained, “We became aware of all these occurrences when individuals would either reach out to us via phone or come to our location, visibly distressed.”
Marti-Alvarez is accused of delivering food that was either undercooked, incorrect, or fraudulently priced. According to the police, this scheme lasted for several years and had a detrimental impact on the reputation of Roman’s Pizzeria. It resulted in negative online reviews and numerous complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.
According to Roman, he was informed about the arrest on Monday.
“I’m actually relieved in a way, because I hope this will put an end to it,” he expressed. “I never wanted him to be arrested, but it was necessary to stop him. There was a correct way for him to handle the situation, and if he had done so, this unfortunate incident could have been avoided.”
Marti-Alvarez has been charged with aggravated battery for reportedly striking a hotel worker.