Florida dealer solution for missed payment? carjacker

The employee was part of the dealer’s family and threatened customers with a gun

In the world of car dealers, payment disputes are often resolved with a few phone calls to the bank or a pile of paperwork behind closed doors, not with threats and guns on the street. But when tempers flare and judgment fails, things can take a dangerous turn. What was supposed to be a routine incident on a 2020 Honda Accord in Florida turned into a carjacking and a dealership employee is facing jail time.

Erik Hadad is a 58-year-old Israeli citizen who works at Guru Auto Sales, a family-owned dealership in Aventura, Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, he carjacked a customer on December 19, 2023, and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted by a Miami jury. The 24-year-old victim was a Haitian immigrant who purchased a 2020 Honda Accord in October 2023. The Justice Department provided further background on the victims’ plight in an official statement.

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“At the time of the purchase, the victim understood that he was paying a financial company…” the Justice Department explained. “What the victims didn’t know was that there was an agreement between the finance company and Guru that if the victim made late payments within the first two months of the loan, the finance company could demand the approximately $13,800 they paid to recoup the loan from the dealer. “

This detail is crucial because the victim’s first payment was bounced. He then paid the late fee on the first installment in November. Because he was late, the dealer received a letter on December 14 notifying them that they needed to buy back the loan for approximately $13,000. Remarkably, the crime occurred five days later, despite clear instructions from the finance company to the dealer that they could not repossess the car. In fact, as of the 19th, the victim was still repaying the loan.

Despite these facts, Haddad stalked the victim for an unknown amount of time. When the victim finally came to a stop, Haddad got out of his BMW, tore off the paper tag on the Honda and “continued to scream violently at the victim to get out of the car.” Haddad lifted up his shirt, revealing the penis in his waistband. A gun, which resulted in the victim handing over the keys.” U.S. Department of Justice.

Eventually, the victim managed to call the police and surprisingly, Haddad was still at the scene when the police arrived. At this point, authorities took Hada into custody. As things stand, Haddad will be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and will likely spend the next 15 years in prison — plenty of time for him to think about how a simple dealer argument turned into a carjacking event.