Manuel Diaz's Weird Wine Scam Ripped Off the Elderly

Something just didn't smell right

​Manuel Diaz, 60, of Hialeah, has been caught in a weird wine scam. The con artist suggested to several elderly people that a case of wine might be the perfect present for the birthdays of friends, loved ones, and even, apparently, their doctors. He told his victims that he'd deliver the wine, but demanded cash up front. Diaz pocketed the cash for himself, and never delivered the wine.

Diaz's victim may have been old, but they certainly weren't stupid. Once they realized that the wine had never been delivered they knew they had been had.

All in all, Diaz scammed about $4,000 from seven victims. He's now been arrested and all seven victims have identified him as the criminal. [WSVN]

• Yet another owner of a Miami HIV/AIDS infusion clinic has been busted for fraud. David Marrero tried to bilk Medicare out of $5.8 million. [SFBJ]
• A judge has declared Tony Villegas, the accused murderer of a former Rothestein associated, mentally unfit for trial. [WSVN]
• 23-year-old Carlos De Leon, a father of two, died in a hit and run accident yesterday. 18-year-old Zuriel Winzeler has been arrested and charged in the killing. [CBS4]
• The 20-year-old robbery suspect who was shot by Hialeah police has died. It still appears that he never pointed a weapon at police, but its infered he tried to run an officer over in his car (which had blown out tires). [CBS4]