A Miami Lakes woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly carrying out a “credit bust-out” scheme involving luxury vehicles.
Ledys Legra Garcia, 32, was taken into custody Monday and charged with organized fraud over $50,000, first- and second-degree grand theft, obtaining a vehicle by deception, and providing false information to secure property or credit.
According to the arrest report, on February 11, a 2024 Mercedes-Benz GT 55 valued at $154,000—registered to Ledys Legra Garcia and her husband—was reported stolen from a residence on Northwest 77th Place.
As investigators looked into the theft, they uncovered a Federal Trade Commission identity theft report filed by Garcia, in which she claimed the Mercedes purchase was fraudulent and that she had been the victim of identity theft. However, officials noted that this report wasn’t filed until May—several months after the vehicle was reported stolen.
The FTC filing also included a fabricated Miami-Dade Sheriff’s report intended to support Garcia’s identity theft claim, according to authorities.
Investigators also uncovered that Garcia has a 2024 Land Rover Defender worth more than $58,000, which they say was obtained through fraudulent means consistent with a “credit bust-out” scheme.
According to authorities, credit bust-outs occur when individuals purchase multiple vehicles in a short time frame before the transactions appear on their credit reports, or when they manipulate their credit history to hide negative activity.
The arrest report states Garcia falsely claimed identity theft to erase her financial responsibility to Mercedes Financial, and also provided misleading income and employment information to secure financing for the Land Rover.
Garcia turned herself in on Monday and was booked into jail. She appeared in court on Tuesday, where a judge set her bond at $23,000.
