The buyer of a used Honda had his vehicle stolen at gunpoint for missing a payment. Problem is the late payment was due to a computer glitch and was resolved. Nevertheless, Florida Man carjacked the Honda owner anyway and now could spend more than a decade behind bars for a really, really, reeeaally bad business move.
How bad for business was this? Well, Guru Auto Sales, located in Miramar, Florida, is now “permanently closed,” according to Google, and its website only exists via the Internet Archive. The downfall of everything stemmed from a silver 2020 Honda Accord purchased in October 2023.
As part of the sales agreement, the 24-year-old buyer understood that his payments were going directly to a finance company, not the dealership. But for reasons unknown (e.g., buyer inexperience, shady dealer, etc.), the buyer didn’t receive a copy of the sales paperwork. So, what he didn’t know was that a missed payment within the first two months of purchase would put Guru Auto on the hook for the $13,800 loan.
He misses his first payment. Oops. Plus a late payment fee. Double oops.
According to a U.S. DOJ press release, Guru Auto received a letter from the finance company on December 14 stating the dealership needed to buy back the loan, of which $13,000 remained. But the bounced payment was due to an autopay issue and seemed to have been resolved by then. In fact, the Honda owner was now current on his payments. The letter was likely an automated one because “Guru was expressly told they couldn’t repossess the car.”
Don’t tell Florida Man what he can and can’t do! Because five days later, Erik Hadad, whom the victim had never met, got behind the wheel of a black BMW and tailed the Honda owner. Literally the week before Christmas, he was probably out doing holiday shopping. When the Honda was stopped at a red light, Hadad, whose family operated Guru Auto, exited the BMW, ripped the temp tag off the Accord, and yelled at the victim to get out of the car. Presumably terrified, the Honda owner got the hell out of there once the light turned green.
But Hadad followed suit and caught up to him, still “aggressively screaming.” When Hadad lifted his shirt to reveal a holstered Smith & Wesson pistol, the cat-and-mouse morning chase ended. The victim surrendered the car and called police. Hadad was charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
This month, a federal jury returned a verdict of guilty. According to the federal carjacking statute, Hadad faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for January 9. Happy Honda Days, Hadad.