A South Florida man, Vitalii Stefurac, was apprehended on the brink of international escape, charged with elaborate deception following a car sale gone wrong. The 48-year-old Hallandale Beach resident, who also goes by “Viktor,” is facing a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Local 10 News reported. Stefurac was preparing to board a flight from Miami to Cuba, with Russia as the ultimate destination.
According to authorities, the former proprietor of Dream Auto Collection, a now-defunct luxury car dealership based in Hollywood, is accused of swindling nearly $300,000 from Alan Sue, a senior from Hawaii. As described in court documents, Sue, who was looking to buy a luxury 2023 Mercedes-Benz G63, never laid eyes on the car which he had wired money for—having been allegedly sold to another, as per Miami Daily Life. The vehicle, which boasted a rare BRABUS package, was a symbol of dreams deferred and trust betrayed.
In distressing terms, Sue shared with Local 10 News the despair he felt, saying, “Seriously, I thought about killing myself. I’ll say it right out — I was stupid and foolish.” His engagement with Stefurac began with spotting the luxury vehicle online and ended with Sue out of pocket and without a car. With the money sent in two installments in April 2024, Sue’s hope was acknowledged by Stefurac, but quickly turned to radio silence…