Questions re the Bank of Julito

We’ve heard for months now that state and federal authorities are investigating former Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, a candidate for Miami-Dade mayor, for possible loan sharking activities (or “usury” like the feds call it or “shadow banking” like the media calls it) as well as possible tax evasion from the, naturally, non-reported income of such activities.

Reports in the Miami Herald and other news media outlets say Robaina received envelopes stuffed with cash at the home of the now late Rolando Blanco and his wife Mercedes. The three were pals with jeweler and accused Ponzi schemer Felipito Perez, a Hialeah Chamber of Commerce member who dropped the big dime on the 1st Hialeah Bank of Julito looking for less time, saying Robaina charged over the legal 18 percent allowable by Florida law. Robaina has denied that repeatedly, vehemently and, even, indignantly.

Thank goodness, once again, for public records.

Mortgage deeds recorded at the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s office are a treasure trove for details. And investigators, we are quite sure, are poring over dozens of them, including this one here from a $65,000 loan made to an accused felon in 2006 by the Blancos. They, however, did not seem to be the ones who would profit from it, which is strange, no? If you are putting up the hard cold cash — to the tune of $65,000 — wouldn’t you want to get something for your risk? No, the borrower was instructed to deliver the 20 percent interest directly to Robaina’s address every month.

In the “mortgage note” part of a mortgage deed recorded by the county on Feb. 1, 2007, Luis Miramontes, “promises to pay to Rolando Blanco or order, in the manner hereinafter, specified the principal sum of $65,000 with the interest from date at the rate of 20 percent per annum on the balance … payable in lawful money of the United States of America at 6140 West 10th Ave., Hialeah.”

Well, wait one ño-que-barrato minute. Isn’t that Julio Robaina’s 6-bedroom, 5-bath home that he purchased in 2002 for $230,000? http://gisims2.miamidade.gov/myhome/propmap.asp And isn’t “lawful money of the United States” another way of saying “cash”? And isn’t 20 percent above the 18 percent allowable by law in the state of Florida for usury interests on loans under $500,000? http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=usury&URL=0600-0699/0687/Sections/0687.03.html And are the IRS and FBI agents in this investigation sleeping after a little too many churros and flan? Can someone get them a cortadito, dark? And pronto?

Those “interest only payments” of $1,100.84 were to begin on Nov. 3, 2006 and be delivered on the third day of each month until the final balloon payment in October, 2009. The loan was paid in full on May 14, 2007. Robaina made $6,600 but only because Miramontes paid it off early. If the loan had played out for the whole three years, he would have gotten $39,630 on a $65,000 loan… made by his friend and business partner? Did the Blancos owe him money and that was a way to pay it off? Or was that his money loaned in the Blancos’ name? His name is nowhere on the deed, maybe because he didn’t want his political aspirations associated with an accused felon he was loaning $65,000 to? A Luis Miramontes with the same birthdate has been charged with grand theft three times and dealing in stolen property once from 1998 to 2000. No wonder he had to couldn’t just go to a Regions or a Bank of America.

And guess who is the title agent and notary at the 1st Hialeah Bank of Julito. None other than Hialeah Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Munoz, who notarized the mortgage deed for Miramontes where Robaina’s name does not appear anywhere on the form. However, when Ladra spoke to her Monday night, it was referred to as one of the many loans Casals-Munoz, who was appointed by the council in November of 2006, notarized for the then mayor of her city. More quid pro quo? There are at least two other mortgage deeds in our hands with her notary stamp on them. These are to Juana and Jose Antonio Sigler, who took out two loans also in October, 2006. One from the Blancos for $53,425 and another from RVR Holdings, a Hialeah company owned by Robaina’s wife, Raiza Villacias Robaina, for $37,000. Is that the same Antonio J. Sigler who owns permits to operate maquinitas at Ily Discount and Ily Coin Laundry on Hialeah Drive? More quid pro quo?

Reached on her cellphone Monday night, the councilwoman said she could not remember how many loans she notarized for the Robainas and the Blancos. Was it more than 20? “I would not be able to tell you out of memory,” Casals-Munoz said. Was it less than 100? “It was less than 100.” Was it more than 50? “I don’t want to say. I couldn’t say for sure.” When asked what she made on the deals, she couldn’t say that either. “I don’t have a standard rate. I don’t want to give any information out of memory.”

She gave an email to send some questions to. I already have a new one I should have asked her when I had the chance: Have you been interviewed or talked to by the FBI or the IRS?

Ladra also has one for the authorities: What are you waiting for?