This Florida dealer’s solution to a missed payment? Carjack The Customer

The employee is part of the family that owns the dealership and threatened the customer with a firearm

In the world of car dealerships, payment disputes typically unfold with a few phone calls to the bank or a pile of paperwork behind closed doors, not on the street with threats and weapons. But when tempers flare and judgment fails, things can take a dangerous turn. What should have been a routine issue involving a missed payment on a 2020 Honda Accord in Florida turned into a carjacking, leaving a dealership employee staring down the barrel of a prison sentence.

Erik Hadad is a 58-year-old Israeli citizen and employee at his family’s dealership, Guru Auto Sales in Aventura, Florida. On December 19, 2023, he carjacked a customer and, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, he now faces up to 15 years in prison following his conviction by a Miami jury. The 24-year-old victim is a Haitian immigrant who purchased a 2020 Honda Accord in October 2023. The DOJ provided further context on the victim’s predicament in an official statement.

More: Dieselgate thief gets 8 years for stealing 61 cars from VW stock

“In making the purchase, the victim understood that he was paying a financing company…” the DOJ explained. “What the victim was not aware of was that there was an agreement between the finance company and Guru, and if the victim was late on payments within the first two months of the loan, the finance company could demand the approximately $13,800 they had paid. for the loan back from the dealer.”

This detail is critical because the victim’s first payment failed. He then paid a late fee along with the first installment in November. Because he was late, the dealer received a letter on December 14 stating that they had to buy back the loan for approximately $13,000. Notably, the crime occurred five days later, despite clear instructions to the dealer from the finance company that they could not repossess the car. On the 19th, the victim still had a loan.

Despite these facts, Hadad followed the victim for an undetermined amount of time. When the victim finally stopped, Hadad got out of his BMW, ripped off the Honda’s paper tag and “continued to aggressively yell for the victim to get out of the car.” Hadad lifted his shirt to reveal he had a gun in his waistband, which resulted in the victim handing over his keys,” the police report states. DOJ.

Eventually, the victim managed to call the police and surprisingly, Hadad was still on the scene when officers arrived. At that point, authorities took Hadad into custody. As things stand, Hadad will be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and faces the possibility of spending the next fifteen years behind bars – plenty of time to reflect on how a simple argument between dealers turned into carjacking.