MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A Miami-Dade man was arrested over the weekend after deputies say he tried to use fake employment and income records to buy high-end vehicles from local dealerships, part of what investigators are calling a “credit bust out” scam targeting the auto finance industry.
Jail records show Pavel Gomez-Deben, 53, was taken into custody Saturday at a car dealership in Miami Gardens after Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigators linked him to suspicious activity involving multiple vehicle purchases in less than 48 hours, according to an arrest report.
MDSO deputies said Gomez-Deben allegedly attempted to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 worth more than $175,000 from Mercedes-Benz of Miami.
Authorities said the dealership’s general manager alerted law enforcement after noticing what he described as red flags in the credit file, including 16 inquiries into Gomez-Deben’s credit report and a recent purchase of a 2025 GMC Yukon valued at nearly $97,000.
Detectives said credit bust outs often involve applicants falsely inflating income and employment data, “which is an emerging trend within the auto finance industry.”
In Gomez-Deben’s case, deputies said that he claimed to earn over $247,000 annually as the president of a company called “P&G Truck Lines.”
But investigators found that the business had been inactive from 2021 until its recent reinstatement in February — months before the loan attempts. They also learned that Gomez-Deben currently works as a barber.
When Mercedes-Benz contacted Lorenzo Buick GMC, the dealership where the Yukon had been purchased, staff there confirmed Gomez-Deben had used nearly identical information to secure financing through Santander Bank, according to his arrest report.
Concerned the deal was fraudulent, investigators said the dealership lured Gomez-Deben back by telling him the SUV needed to be brought in for service.
When he returned around 1 p.m. Saturday, authorities said Miami-Dade deputies were waiting.
They said Gomez-Deben was detained and questioned by detectives from MDSO’s Organized Crimes Bureau.
Despite initially agreeing to speak with investigators after being read his Miranda rights in Spanish, authorities said Gomez-Deben eventually requested an attorney and the interview was stopped.
Before requesting legal counsel, detectives said Gomez-Deben denied applying for credit at Mercedes-Benz of Miami and claimed he was the victim of identity theft. But dealership records showed he had communicated directly with staff using his personal cellphone number, the report stated.
Detectives also noted that the OnStar tracking system in the GMC Yukon had been disabled. Automotive technicians later confirmed the unit had been tampered with.
Jail records show Gomez-Deben is facing multiple charges, including organized fraud of $50,000 or more, first-degree grand theft exceeding $100,000, second-degree grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000, and two counts each of obtaining a vehicle by trickery and obtaining property through false statements or credit.
Gomez-Deben’s bond information was not immediately available.
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