As if Haitian Americans aren’t facing enough hell, a Florida auto salesman targeted one in an effort to repossess his vehicle… the illegal way. It’s safe to say the salesman is about to lose more than just his job.
Friday, the Department of Justice announced the fate of 58-year-old Erik Hadad, an employee with Guru Auto Sales in South Florida, is to spend his next several birthdays in prison. Federal prosecutors claim the punishment stems from an October 2023 incident. Authorities said a 24-year-old Haitian immigrant purchased a 2020 Honda Accord from the dealership but was not given a copy of the sales paperwork to show he signed off on the purchase.
Upon signing the agreement, the DOJ said the customer was under the impression he was paying a finance company. However, what he didn’t know was the finance company had an agreement with Guru Auto Sales that if the customer was late on a payment within the first two months of owning the car, the dealership would have to pay back the $13,800 loan they borrowed.
Unfortunately, this hidden agreement was quickly put into action after the customer’s first car payment bounced back in November 2023. The prosecutors said it was due to him setting up auto payments but nevertheless, he handled the first payment as well as the late fee. However, even after he made his payment, the finance company notified the dealership that they needed that $13,000 back.
Five days later, Hadad decided to take matters into his own hands to settle the debt and repossess the car, despite being advised not to do so. The DOJ said he followed the customer in a BMW by Miami International Airport. Once the two reached a red light on Le Jeune Road and Northwest 31st Street, Hadad hopped out his car, angrily stomped over to the Honda and ripped off the temporary tag. He then demanded the customer to exit the vehicle, prosecutors said.
Mind you, the customer never met Hadad before. One can only imagine what was going through his head.
The customer ended up driving off once the light turned green but Hadad chased him to the MIA Tri-Rail station, prosecutors said. There he approached the customer once again, screaming angrily for him to get out of the car and then brandished the firearm in his waistband. At that point, the customer surrendered his keys.
Hadad was arrested on federal carjacking charges. He was found guilty by the federal jury and faces up to 15 years in prison. As for Guru Auto Sales, the spot is listed on Google as “permanently closed.”