A 20-year-old Ocala man was arrested after selling a defective iPhone 12 Pro Max to a woman on Facebook Marketplace.
On Monday, July 26, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office detective responded to a SW 151st Place residence in Ocala in reference to fraud.
The female victim at the residence advised that she had purchased a counterfeit iPhone from a man later identified as Gustavo Garcia.
She made the agreement to purchase the cellphone offered by Garcia on Facebook Marketplace for $1,000.
Both the victim and Garcia agreed to meet at the Winn Dixie parking lot located at 184 Marion Oaks Boulevard on Sunday, July 25 in order to complete the transaction.
Garcia handed the cellphone to the victim in an iPhone 12 Pro Max box that was wrapped in clear plastic.
The victim took out the phone, briefly examined it, and paid the $1,000 to Garcia. When she later placed the SIM card into the cellphone, she realized that the device was defective.
She attempted to contact Garcia on Facebook Marketplace, but his account was removed, and she had no way of reaching him.
During an investigation, the MCSO detective identified that the Facebook account belonged to Garcia. A photo lineup of suspects was conducted, and the victim correctly identified Garcia.
On Saturday, December 4, the detective went to Garcia’s residence to conduct an interview. Garcia advised that he sold the victim a cellphone in June or July for $1,000, and he confirmed that payment was made at the Winn Dixie parking lot.
Garcia mentioned that he had originally purchased the iPhone from a friend, but he refused to provide that friend’s name to the detective.
When asked why he blocked any further Facebook communication with the victim, he stated that the transaction was over and there was no reason to speak with her further.
On Tuesday, December 14, Garcia was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and later released on $5,000 bond.
He is facing a felony charge for fraud and a court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.