Public adjuster accused of stealing $42,000 from another Miami senior citizen
Exactly two months after being arrested on grand theft and elder theft charges, a West Miami-Dade public adjuster was arrested on the same charges.
The charge reflects the similarity of what investigators allege Leading Public Adjusters One President Pedro Iriarte III did: working on an insurance claim for clients; getting the clients' insurance check; never giving them their money ($42,500, in this case); and misappropriating the funds instead.
'Unfortunately, not only did (Iriarte) keep and use the victims' money, Diony Hernandez, who was 79 years old, passed away on Feb. 28, 2023 before receiving her money,' the arrest report states. 'Ms. Hernandez's sole wish was to pay back her daughter and son-in-law for the financial help she received from them while she was waiting to have her home repaired.'
Iriarte is charged with third-degree grand theft; elder theft between $10,000 and $50,000; and uttering a forged instrument (knowing the insurance check contained forgery when he deposited it in his account). Prosecutors decided not to file on the forgery charge.
Iriarte was released after posting $5,000 bond the day of his arrest.
Iriarte found himself in handcuffs on Dec. 6, accused of doing the same thing to a Westchester senior citizen and his wife. The amount in question there was $61,282. His charges in that case were second-degree grand theft and elder theft over $50,000.
Online court dockets say Iriarte will enter his pleas in the cases on March 20.
READ MORE: Licensed public adjuster accused of stealing $61,000 from a Miami senior citizen, wife
While Iriarte was licensed during the time frame in each case, state records for his license, No. D064749, say 'No valid licenses found' and 'No active appointments found,' the last one expiring April 30, 2024.
State corporation records and Miami sources say that although Pedro Iriarte's Leading Public Adjusters One, based out of 4720 SW 74th St., and Julio Iriarte's Miami Lakes-based Leading Public Adjusters are run by brothers, the companies aren't related beyond a similar name and are run independently of each other.
Irma, Iriarte and insurance investigators
The arrest report in the more recent case says after outer parts of September 2017's Hurricane Irma damaged the West Kendall home owned by Hernandez and daughter, Coral Gables resident Dionys Gretrudis Mantecon, they went to Leading Public Adjusters One for help on the insurance claim.
Citizens Property Insurance settled on Oct. 12, 2022, and issued a check. Iriarte, the report said, 'fraudulently endorsed the signature for the victims, then deposited the check into his business account' on Jan. 24, 2023.
'The victims asked (Iriarte) multiple times for the settlement money, but (Iriarte) would always make up excuses and never paid them,' the arrest report said. 'Iriarte refused to return the amount owed to the homeowners and, instead, kept it and used it for personal use.'
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