A Florida company president and her son are accused of turning their employer’s accounts into a six-figure luxury fund, with police saying the money went toward everything from yachts and designer clothes to a Brickell condo and Mercedes-Benz rentals.
Maria Rodriguez and her son, Miguel Antonio Perez, were arrested Wednesday after an investigation into more than $620,000 that Medley police say was taken from Iron Container Holdings between 2020 and 2025.
The investigation even came with a fitting name: “Operation Iron Illusion.”
Police Say Company Expenses Paid for a Very Different Kind of Business
The investigation began in April 2025 after police responded to a report of financial fraud at Iron Container Holdings, according to Local 10.
Rodriguez was the company’s president and had access to its financial accounts, credit cards, records, and payroll. Investigators say company money was used for personal expenses that were disguised in the records as miscellaneous business expenses.
Those expenses weren’t exactly office supplies.
Police identified spending on a Brickell condo, an elite gym membership, Saks Fifth Avenue clothing, car insurance, luxury yacht rentals, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class rentals.
According to WSVN, investigators subpoenaed credit card, payroll, and other records as they followed the money.
“The fraud leaves a trail,” Medley Police public information officer Andres Oviedo told Local 10. “And trails can be followed.”
A $42,000 Security Job Became a $114,000 Remote Position
Investigators say the spending was only part of the alleged scheme.
Rodriguez hired Perez as a security guard at an initial annual salary of $42,000. According to warrants cited by Local 10, the position was later made remote and his salary jumped to $114,000.
Police say Perez never performed any security duties.
WSVN reports investigators identified more than $454,000 in disputed payroll and 49 instances in which work and gym records allegedly conflicted.
Rodriguez’s position at the company gave her considerable control. A 2025 article still published on Iron Container’s website identifies her as president and quotes her discussing the company’s products and its relationship with customers.
“It’s essential that our customers feel confident in the durability of the equipment they receive,” Rodriguez said in the article.
Iron Container, which says it has been operating since 2009, manufactures dumpsters, compactors, and other equipment for the waste industry. The company currently lists facilities in Miami, Florida, and Easley, South Carolina.
A company employee confirmed to CBS News Miami that Rodriguez no longer works for Iron Container but declined to comment further.
Mother and Son Now Face Felony Charges
Rodriguez and Perez were arrested Wednesday morning in Miami Beach before being taken to jail. Local 10 reports both face felony charges including organized scheme to defraud and grand theft.
As of Wednesday evening, both were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond set at $30,000 each. They are expected to appear before a judge Thursday.
Oviedo had a fairly straightforward assessment of the case.
“The Medley Police Department wants to make clear that if you want to live a life of luxury, you live it clean,” he told CBS News Miami. “You don’t embezzle from your company. You don’t steal from your company. You don’t steal from anybody.”
Rodriguez and Perez are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.