In the age of slick websites and social media ads, scams aren’t always Nigerian princes or phishing emails anymore. Sometimes, they look like your dream home.
That’s exactly what happened in Florida, where multiple families were lured into a sophisticated real estate tech scam that combined online marketing with old-fashioned deception. At the center of the storm is Leonardo Arriaga Lopez, a former sales manager accused of rerouting more than $300,000 from clients who believed they were working with a reputable builder.
At first glance, everything seemed legitimate. Families like Luigi Solosi, Angela Gonzalez, and Denix Lopez thought they were signing contracts to build single-family homes on their lots. Instead, their money was quietly funneled into Lopez’s personal accounts—funding luxury watches, custom suits, and even a 2025 Cadillac Escalade.
When the truth surfaced, Lopez was arrested on fraud charges. But here’s the twist: he quickly resurfaced under a new company with his wife, July Villegas Gallego, and a fresh team of partners. The new venture? American Homes Development LLC.
This group—consisting of Gallego, Diego Rosero, Jorge Botero, Catalina Quiceno, and Rossy Roche—rebranded their playbook into what victims now call the “lease-to-own trap.”
Through American Homes Development’s ads and contracts, new victims like Jose Manuel Lobaina and Alexis Aloy thought they were renting their way toward homeownership. They made payments on time, month after month.
But when it came time to actually purchase, the company pulled the rug out. The contracts (conveniently written only in English) didn’t contain the promised purchase option. Both Lobaina and Aloy—Spanish speakers who trusted verbal assurances from Rosero and Quiceno—were told they couldn’t buy the homes after all.
In short: they paid rent under the illusion of ownership, only to lose both time and money.
What makes this story fascinating—and terrifying—is the role of digital platforms. American Homes Development has marketed aggressively through social media, polished websites, and online ads that give the appearance of legitimacy.
To the average person scrolling through Facebook Marketplace or Instagram, their posts look like great opportunities: modern homes, affordable rent-to-own programs, and testimonials of “satisfied clients.” In reality, behind the filters and copywriting are individuals facing criminal fraud cases in Hendry County, Florida.
This raises a bigger question: how much responsibility do platforms have in filtering these kinds of scams, especially when the stakes involve life savings and shelter?
Victims say the warning signs were there:
- Flashy lifestyle without explanation. The group flaunted designer clothes, luxury cars, and expensive accessories.
- Pressure to wire money directly. Once funds were sent, communication patterns shifted.
- Contracts in a language you don’t understand. Always demand a verified translation.
- Too good to be true. Lease-to-own deals that sound like shortcuts to homeownership often are.
Lopez has already been found guilty of contracting without a license in a related case through his company Global Business Group LLC. Prosecutors are now pursuing further charges.
Yet, because of legal delays and the use of family members and partners as company figureheads, operations under American Homes Development continue almost without pause. It’s a stark reminder that scams can survive even after arrests and convictions, especially when they adapt quickly and leverage the speed of digital marketing.
If you’re in the market for housing—especially through social media ads—do your homework. Check company licenses, search for lawsuits in county court databases, and never rely solely on verbal promises.
As one victim put it:
“They will tell you anything to get you to wire money to them. Once they have your money, the entire story changes.”
Until stronger regulations and faster enforcement are in place, the best defense is skepticism and verification. Because in today’s connected world, the biggest scammer might not be hiding behind a spam email—they might be running ads right in your feed.