Gregori Arzumanov, 61, accused of stealing $1.5 million from residents
Annaliese Garcia, ReporterChristopher GothnerLiane Morejon, Reporter
Published: October 2, 2024 at 12:55 PM
AVENTURA, Fla. – A court hearing was held Wednesday morning for a condominium board president from Aventura who was arrested this week on several felony charges.
Gregori Arzumanov, 61, who faces several charges, including racketeering and money laundering, was ordered held on a $350,000 bond. A Miami-Dade County judge also ordered that he surrender his three passports and placed a Nebbia hold on his bond, meaning that Arzumanov must prove that the funds used for his bond were legitimately earned.
According to an online biography, Arzumanov, originally from the former Soviet country of Georgia, has served as the association president for Turnberry on the Green since 2008.
Police were spotted at the condominium building at 19501 W. Country Club Drive Tuesday, taking Arzumanov into custody.
Gregori Arzumanov.
In the biography, the 61-year-old touts his money management skills, saying he and the board rescued Turnberry on the Green from a “disastrous” financial state and made it “the most financially stable condominium in South Florida.”
In an arrest warrant, however, authorities said Arzumanov is accused of stealing more than $1.5 million from residents since 2017.
“There was trouble in paradise,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said at a news conference Tuesday.
Residents of Turnberry on the Green told Local 10 News they were shocked by the allegations against Arzumenov.
“He seemed like a nice guy. It’s a shame,” said resident David Kosoy. “I hope that everything works out.”
Arzumanov is accused of hiring his own companies to perform work at the building at inflated rates, including switching security providers to a company he controlled and billing his own pool company “for services it was not performing and was already paying another company to perform.”
Authorities said his pool company made $40,000 in 2019 “for services it never rendered.”
They said he continued to bill the association even while knowing he was under investigation by law enforcement.
Court documents reveal Arzumenov holds passports from Georgia, Russia, and the United States, and he has taken flight lessons. One allegation includes charging plane fuel to the association’s credit card.
Detectives said Arzumanov also appointed himself property manager and chief engineer, despite not being a licensed engineer and having a background in quantum physics.
“He managed to consolidate a variety of positions within the condominium that allowed him to steal assets from the association,” Fernandez Rundle said.
According to the warrant, Arzumanov paid for personal expenses, including groceries, gasoline and Dunkin’ Donuts, on the association’s credit card.
In one instance, detectives said he paid a $45 bill at the Crazy Buffet in West Palm Beach using the association American Express card.
Police also say he used money collected from owners’ maintenance fees for personal use, even buying nearly $30,000 worth of artwork found in his unit. Arzumanov used “threats and fear” to maintain control of the association and “filed several lawsuits against other association members as a means to quiet the opposition and suppress any (dissent),” authorities allege.
“The vast majority of owners are investors who do not reside in the building and as such are not exposed to or aware of the day-to-day issues,” police wrote. “The defendant would utilize a well-organized campaign of misinformation to make the building appear profitable to the owners who would not question anything as long as their investment appeared safe.”
In addition to charges of racketeering and money laundering, Arzumanov also faces counts of grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, organized scheme to defraud and making a false statement to the Florida Department of State.
He remained held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Wednesday evening.
Aventura police said more arrests are likely to follow. The city’s police chief had a message for those involved.
“You have a window of opportunity to reach out to our detectives or the state attorney’s office to work with us, but that is a very small window,” Chief Michael Bentolila said. “If you don’t take it, we will be at your front door and we will be arresting you as well.”
Courtesy: @AthleticsFit305
