According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, Rulx "Ringo" Cayard, the founder and director of the Haitian-American Foundation, Inc. (HAFI), was arrested and charged with 22 counts of felonies, including racketeering, theft and money laundering.
Some of the charges against the 54-year-old stem from HAFI's 2005 sale of land the organization had purchased in 2002 using money it received from the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County. The land was originally intended to be the site of a Creole Market Place, but it was never built, police said.
Police alleged that Cayard personally profited from the sale and that the sale itself defrauded local, state and federal authorities. Cayard is also accused of providing false audit reports and federal tax returns through HAFI.
Cayard went to bond court on Friday afternoon. Throughout the proceedings, he stayed quiet with his head hung low.
Family and friends that showed up to court denied the allegations that he created fake records, stole money and misused money from his organization that was meant to help the Haitian community.
"I know he's innocent," Cayard's son, Kevin, said.
The arrest came after a nearly three-year investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
In 2007, NBC 6 reported on alleged money abuse by Cayard's organization.
A judge placed Cayard's bond at $300,000. If that bond is posted, he will be placed under house arrest until a hearing date can be set.
http://www.nbc6.net/news/15667150/detail.html
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