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Miami federal jury convicts dealership employee of carjacking customer after autopay hiccup

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Miami federal jury convicts dealership employee of carjacking customer after autopay hiccup


MIAMI – A man who worked at his family’s South Florida car dealership could face more than a decade in federal prison after a jury convicted him of carjacking a customer, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

Prosecutors said the whole thing stemmed from an autopay issue that caused the victim to miss a loan payment on a 2020 Honda Accord.

The Miami federal jury convicted Erik Hadad, 58, of Aventura, on Tuesday, a DOJ news release states. Hadad worked at Guru Auto Sales, which was located at 2690 S. State Road 7 in Miramar. The business is listed on Google as “permanently closed.”

Authorities said the victim, a 24-year-old Haitian immigrant, bought the car from Guru in October 2023 and was not given a copy of the sales paperwork he signed.

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“In making the purchase, the victim understood that he was paying a finance company,” the news release. “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 a payment within the first two months of the loan, then the finance company could demand the approximately $13,800 it paid for the loan back from the dealership.”

Prosecutors continued, “That part of the agreement mattered because the victim’s first payment bounced after he set up autopay, with the victim paying the first installment late and with a late fee in late November 2023.”

Authorities said because of that, the finance company sent Guru a letter on Dec. 14, 2023, saying that the dealership needed to buy the loan back and owed about $13,000.

Prosecutors said the carjacking occurred five days later, even though the victim “was current on his account that day” and the dealership “was expressly told they couldn’t repossess the car.”

Nevertheless, authorities said Hadad followed the victim in a BMW near Miami International Airport.

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Prosecutors said when the victim reached a red light at Le Jeune Road and Northwest 31st Street, “Hadad, whom the victim had never met before, got out of the black BMW in the middle of the intersection and approached the victim’s Honda, ripping off the paper temporary tag and aggressively yelling at the victim to get out of the car.”

“The victim was able to get away when the light turned green, but Hadad eventually caught up to the victim” at the MIA Tri-Rail station, authorities said, and Hadad “continued aggressively screaming for the victim to get out of the car.”

“Hadad lifted his shirt to reveal that he had a gun holstered in his waistband, which led the victim to surrender his keys,” the news release states.

The victim, “in shock,” called Miami-Dade police, who arrested Hadad, initially on state charges, and located the gun. The case later became federal as the Honda was, according to a federal indictment, “transported, shipped and received in interstate and foreign commerce.”

Hadad, an Israeli national, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, prosecutors said.

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According to the federal carjacking statute, Hadad could spend up to 15 years behind bars.

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Miami, FL

Meet CBS Miami Nat Moore Trophy nominee American Heritage wide receiver Malachi Toney

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Meet CBS Miami Nat Moore Trophy nominee American Heritage wide receiver Malachi Toney


FORT LAUDERDALE – CBS News Miami is once again on the hunt for the most outstanding high school football player in South Florida.  

This week’s Nat Moore Trophy nominee goes to American Heritage wide receiver Malachi Toney, who as a freshman already had college football teams looking to recruit him. He has reclassified from the 2026 to 2025 class.

And he has a specific group of people to thank for his drive.

Toney has always been a confident player but his freshman year things changed.

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“My first game I had 103 yards a freshman,” Toney said. “That’s when I was like I could really do it. That motivated me and put a lot of confidence in me.”

He’s kept that skill level up, with more than 40 Division I offers this year.

“I had 30 as a freshman,” Toney said.

It all started when he was younger.

“My uncle used to take us to the beach,” Toney said.  “I used to play tackle in the streets with my brothers. It’s just been my first love”

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But he wouldn’t have been here without women. He credits his success solely to the strong women in his family.

“Growing up I didn’t have the most money but my mom still grind and put shoes and clothes on our back and feet so for her I’ll be forever grateful and thankful,” he said.

This past August, he lost a core member of his support group.

His aunt Reba lost her battle against cancer.

“We grew up together,” he said. “She helped my mom raise me to the young man I am today.”

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He said he’s making it to the NFL to support the women who’ve supported him, especially his late aunt Reba.

“So for her I gotta fulfill my destiny,” Toney  said. “There is no other plan, no other option.”

The four finalists will be announced at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 live on CBS News Miami and streaming. Mike Cugno will be live from Hard Rock Stadium will interview this year’s class .

You too can nominate your favorite high school football player at NatMooreTrophy.com.

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College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction: Oregon Ducks Lead, Georgia and Miami Drop

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College Football Playoff Rankings Prediction: Oregon Ducks Lead, Georgia and Miami Drop


Tuesday night marks the second release of the College Football Playoff rankings, and the Oregon Ducks should expect to stay No. 1. Behind Oregon, however, the CFP Selection Committee has some decisions to make.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes should stay put, but the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 4 Miami Hurricanes both suffered upset losses on the road. While neither team is effectively eliminated from the 12-team playoff after losing, both Georgia and Miami fell out of the top-10 in the AP Top-25 Poll on Sunday. How far will they drop in the CFP rankings?

The Duck rides a motorcycle and the Oregon Ducks take the field against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadiu

Nov 9, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; The Duck rides a motorcycle and the Oregon Ducks take the field before a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

If the No. 5 Texas Longhorns and No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions replace Georgia and Miami, then the Big Ten Conference will have three out of the top four teams. However, the final top-25 will look much different because the first four rankings are reserved for the four highest-ranked conference champions at the end of the season.

Despite the Big Ten’s presence at the top of the rankings, the CFP Selection Committee placed No. 7 Tennessee above No. 8 Indiana in the first edition of the top-25. This decision implies that the Hoosiers’ undefeated record against below-average opponents is less valuable than the Volunteers’ 8-1 record with a win over No. 11 Alabama.

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No. 9 BYU defeated Utah with a last-minute field goal. The game’s officiating has sparked controversy, but the Cougars are now 9-0 with wins over No. 13 SMU and No. 19 Kansas State. Is BYU’s resume better than Indiana’s?

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The argument is potentially irrelevant because the Hoosiers face Ohio State on Saturday. It will be Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s toughest test of the season, but it’s an opportunity to prove the critics wrong. A win over the Buckeyes all-but guarantees the Hoosiers an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game.

With three weeks left in the regular season, the rankings are bound to change. As it currently stands, the highest seeds would belong to Oregon (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), BYU (Big 12), and Miami (ACC) in the playoff bracket. However, the rankings will not reflect the automatic bids in the top-four until after the conference champions have been decided.

College Football Playoff rankings prediction:

1 Oregon

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2 Ohio State

3 Texas

4 Penn State

5 Tennessee

6 BYU

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7 Indiana

8 Notre Dame

9 Alabama

10 Ole Miss

11 Georgia

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12 Miami

This article will be updated once the College Football Playoff rankings are released.

MORE: Wisconsin’s Jack Del Rio Resigns After Drunk Driving Arrest Before Oregon Ducks Game

MORE: Big Ten Power Rankings: Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers Jockeying

MORE: Oregon Injury Update: Jordan James, Jordan Burch Anticipated to Play vs. Wisconsin

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Betting Odds: Double-Digit Favorites vs. Wisconsin Badgers

MORE: NFL Draft Quarterbacks: Oregon Ducks’ Dillon Gabriel Ranked, Snubbed By Mel Kiper?

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Addresses Jordan Burch Injury After Beating Maryland

MORE: Questionable Officiating Oregon Ducks vs. Maryland Terrapins: Unsportsmanlike Conduct

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MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Addresses Jordan James Injury After Beating Maryland

MORE: Oregon Ducks Recruiting: 5-Star Jared Curtis Trending Ducks Over Ohio State, Georgia?



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Miami Dolphins snap three-game skid with victory over the Los Angeles Rams | CNN

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Miami Dolphins snap three-game skid with victory over the Los Angeles Rams | CNN




CNN
 — 

The Miami Dolphins snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday night, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 23-15 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Miami opened the game needing less than three minutes to drive 70-yards and score the game’s first points on an 18-yard touchdown run by rookie Malik Washington, the first of his NFL career.

Tyreek Hill caught his second touchdown of the season in the third quarter on a short throw by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa – halting a career-long seven-game streak without a touchdown for him – to extend Miami’s lead to 17-6, an advantage they never relinquished as the Dolphins snapped the Rams’ three-game win streak. Miami’s kicker Jason Sanders also made all three of his field goals.

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“I think it’s a testament to the character of this team,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “We’ve come a long way through however many losses in a row. The resilience of this team, with the external noise, everyone counting us out.

“Hopefully this is an opportunity for us to not waste. Hopefully we can go on a run with this win and find our rhythm towards the back end of the season.”

After making the playoffs last year, Miami’s season was derailed when Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the team’s Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills. He missed the next four games and the Dolphins went 1-3 during his absence.

Entering Monday night’s game, the Dolphins had been 0-2 since Tagovailoa’s return, losing both games on last-second field goals.

However, despite now sporting a 3-6 record after Monday’s victory, Miami remains in the playoff hunt, sitting in second place in the AFC East and 1 ½ games out of the final wild-card spot in the conference.

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During Monday’s game, Miami’s defense held the Matthew Stafford-led Rams out of the endzone all night, sacking the quarterback four times. He finished with 293 passing yards, completing 32 of 46 attempts, and an interception.

“It was just negative plays at the wrong times,” Stafford said about the loss. “Whether it’s a turnover, a sack, an inefficient play on first down or whatever it was. We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit in that kind of strike zone area, 30-yard line-ish area. That was probably the difference in the game and not coming up with touchdowns.”

Los Angeles’ rookie kicker Joshua Karty made three of his five field goals in the fourth quarter to keep the Rams close. However, after hitting a 22-yarder in the final minute to make it a one-score game, the Dolphins recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.

“To create a wildfire all it takes is one spark,” said Miami defensive lineman Calais Campbell about ending the losing streak. “We just got to keep believing, keep fighting and keep going for it.”

The Dolphins (3-6) will next play against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7), while the Rams (4-5) will travel to New England to play against the Patriots (3-7) on Sunday, November 17.

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